Joel N. Blankson
Encyclopedia
Joel N. Blankson, MD, PhD, is an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. Blankson is an expert on HIV
infection, particularly HIV latency
and long-term control of HIV infection
. He is a lead investigator in studies on these topics and is frequently interviewed in the scientific and popular press. Blankson also practices internal
and infectious diseases medicine in Lutherville
, Maryland
.
he earned at the Cornell University Medical School, now known as Weil Cornell, in New York City
, New York
. His PhD
was awarded by Rockefeller University
in 1996 as part of a joint MD-PhD program
with Cornell and Memorial Sloan-Kettering. At Rockefeller, Blankson conducted immunology
research with Stephen S. Morse.
Blankson completed residencies in infectious diseases and internal medicine at Johns Hopkins. He has practiced medicine in Delaware
and Maryland. He is currently an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and also collaborates closely with the Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology.
and residencies at Johns Hopkins, Blankson investigated HIV at Johns Hopkins with Robert Siliciano. Their work together has included research on HIV pathogenesis, immune reconstitution, control of viremia, and HIV viral reservoirs. They also reviewed the concept of "structured therapeutic interruption."
More recently, Blankson has led investigations of elite suppressors of HIV-1 infection. Elite suppressors are people who are infected with HIV-1 but naturally suppress the amount of virus in their blood
to very low, almost undetectable levels without use of antiretroviral drugs
. Only 1 HIV-positive person out of approximately 300 is in this category. Blankson and other investigators suggest the biological mechanisms of this rare phenomenon may hold the key to new treatments for HIV. From 2007 to 2009, Blankson published about 20 scientific articles on elite suppressors, and he has been interviewed extensively in the popular and scientific press.
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., is the academic medical teaching and research arm of Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins has consistently been the nation's number one medical school in the amount of competitive research grants awarded by the National...
in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. Blankson is an expert on HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infection, particularly HIV latency
Virus latency
Virus latency is the ability of a pathogenic virus to lie dormant within a cell, denoted as the lysogenic part of the viral life cycle. A latent viral infection is a type of persistent viral infection which is distinguished from a chronic viral infection...
and long-term control of HIV infection
Long-term nonprogressors
Long-term nonprogressors , less commonly called elite controllers, are rare individuals who are infected with HIV, but control the infection without antiretroviral therapy . Many of these patients have been HIV positive for 30 years without progressing to AIDS...
. He is a lead investigator in studies on these topics and is frequently interviewed in the scientific and popular press. Blankson also practices internal
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
and infectious diseases medicine in Lutherville
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Lutherville-Timonium is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland made up of the unincorporated communities of Lutherville and Timonium. The population was 15,814 as of the 2000 census. Within its borders lies the Lutherville Historic District...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Training and career
In 1995, Blankson received an MDDoctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
he earned at the Cornell University Medical School, now known as Weil Cornell, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
was awarded by Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
in 1996 as part of a joint MD-PhD program
MD/PhD
MD/PhD refers to an education which includes both the medical training of a physician with the rigor of a scientific researcher . It can refer to the designation given to a person who has graduated from such an education, or an educational program which incorporates both curricula.-Profession:An...
with Cornell and Memorial Sloan-Kettering. At Rockefeller, Blankson conducted immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
research with Stephen S. Morse.
Blankson completed residencies in infectious diseases and internal medicine at Johns Hopkins. He has practiced medicine in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
and Maryland. He is currently an associate professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and also collaborates closely with the Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology.
Research
After his PhD research on immunologyImmunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
and residencies at Johns Hopkins, Blankson investigated HIV at Johns Hopkins with Robert Siliciano. Their work together has included research on HIV pathogenesis, immune reconstitution, control of viremia, and HIV viral reservoirs. They also reviewed the concept of "structured therapeutic interruption."
More recently, Blankson has led investigations of elite suppressors of HIV-1 infection. Elite suppressors are people who are infected with HIV-1 but naturally suppress the amount of virus in their blood
Viremia
Viremia is a medical condition where viruses enter the bloodstream and hence have access to the rest of the body. It is similar to bacteremia, a condition where bacteria enter the bloodstream.- Primary versus Secondary :...
to very low, almost undetectable levels without use of antiretroviral drugs
Antiretroviral drug
Antiretroviral drugs are medications for the treatment of infection by retroviruses, primarily HIV. When several such drugs, typically three or four, are taken in combination, the approach is known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, or HAART...
. Only 1 HIV-positive person out of approximately 300 is in this category. Blankson and other investigators suggest the biological mechanisms of this rare phenomenon may hold the key to new treatments for HIV. From 2007 to 2009, Blankson published about 20 scientific articles on elite suppressors, and he has been interviewed extensively in the popular and scientific press.