Infectious and Inflammatory Ocular Disease; Cellular Studies of HSV; Diagnostic PCR Assays; CMV Retinitis Studies
Dr. Margolis's research focuses on the epidemiology, detection, treatment, and pathogenic mechanisms of ocular disease caused by the herpes viruses. In collaboration with Kaiser Northern California he is engaged in several ongoing population-based epidemiological studies on the incidence and prevalence of HSV and VZV ocular disease and the association of the onset of these infections with other systemic diseases. He also continues to participate in large multicenter clinical trials. He is currently participating in the NEI sponsored MUST (Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment) trial, and has previously participated in the NEI sponsored HEDS (Herpetic Eye Disease Studies) and SOCCA (Studies of the Ocular Complications of AIDS) trials. In addition, in the lab, he continues to study the basic molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of HSV latent infection. As a result of this broad research background, over the years he has been able to support the training of numerous postdoctoral and clinical fellows in the areas of epidemiology, clinical trials design, and basic benchtop research with a focus on infectious and inflammatory ocular disease. To accomplish this Dr. Margolis takes advantage of the abundant clinical material available at the UCSF Proctor Medical Group and Kaiser Northern California, the basic science and epidemiology coursework at UCSF, the UCSF clinical microbiology lab and his own R01 funded research lab. The aims of the BCSDP program would fit in well with his research program.
