2019 Audrey Gilden Lectureship Maria Nagel Associate Professor of Neurology University of Colorado

Dr. Maria Nagel was selected this year to deliver an address in the Audrey Steinman Gilden Lectureship series. Dr. Nagel delivered her address during the 16th International Symposium on NeuroVirology and 2019 Conference on HIV in the Nervous System on November 13th, 2019.

Dr. Maria Acena Nagel is a clinician-scientist who received her B.A. at the University of Chicago and her M.D. at the University of Illinois. She completed Neurology residency and a 3-year NIH-funded neurovirology fellowship in 2009 with renowned neurovirologist and Chair of Neurology, the late Dr. Don Gilden, focusing on the biology of varicella zoster virus (VZV). She was appointed Instructor in 2006, Assistant Professor in 2009, and Associate Professor in 2015 in the Department of Neurology with a secondary appointment in Ophthalmology. Dr. Nagel has made significant contributions to the clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of diseases caused by VZV, particularly VZV vasculopathy, and has published over 112 papers and book chapters. Her research is primarily funded through P01 and R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health. Her lab focuses on the mechanisms by which VZV produces persistent inflammation and clinical disease, as well as how virus contributes to amyloid-associated diseases – with an eye towards identifying potential therapeutic targets. Dr. Nagel holds a patent on a new class of antiviral drugs to treat CNS disease. She also serves as mentor to numerous postdoctoral fellows and students, and is dedicated to supporting diversity in the health-related sciences.

The Audrey Steinman Gilden Lectureship recognizes investigators whose cutting-edge research achievements have made important contributions to understanding the molecular pathogenesis of neurotropic virus infection. The lectureship was established by Dr. Don Gilden, who contributed significantly to the disciplines of neuroscience and neurovirology through his groundbreaking work on lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, varicella zoster virus, and multiple sclerosis. A 2007 recipient of the ISNV Pioneer in NeuroVirology award, Dr. Gilden established this lectureship in honor of his wife, Audrey. Dr. Nagel is the 6th person in the Audrey Gilden Lectureship series to be featured as a leading investigator in the field of neurovirology.