Allen Caobi

I am a Postdoctoral Associate in the laboratory of Dr. Mohsan Saeed, at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL). I completed my PhD in Biomedical Science at Florida International University, in Miami, Florida. My PhD research focused on three primary aims: 1) Establishing a genomic and proteomic profile of exosomes derived from HIV-infected PBMCs in the context of opiate abuse, with the intention to then observe the effects of these PBMC-derived exosomes on primary neuronal cell function. 2) Development of a nanotherapeutic to ameliorate HIV-associated neuropathology by delivering an exosome containing the desired therapeutic agent (Truvada) and magnetic nano-particles (MNPs) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). 3) Lastly, I developed an exosome-derived protein biomarker profile to assess neurocognitive impairment (NCI) if people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA).

I entered the Saeed Lab in June, 2022. My current research explores the role of viral pathogenicity factors in disease mechanisms. I am particularly focusing on coronaviruses and enteroviruses, both of which encode a number of proteins that modulate host antiviral defenses and create a suitable environment for virus replication. I use various molecular virology approaches to uncover the ways in which these proteins ablate host immunity and contribute to disease development.