Core Facility Information

Dr Maponga and students work on a Mass Spectrometer.

Dr. Maponga and students work on a Mass Spectrometer

The UB HIV and HCV Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory is an internationally recognized leader in antiviral pharmacology and therapeutics and has been conducting antiviral research since the beginning of the HIV epidemic.

The TPRC was one of the initial National Institutes of Health Pharmacology Specialty Laboratories funded through the University of Rochester (UR) Clinical Trials Unit when the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) was established. The laboratory is a training site for numerous national and international faculty, pre-doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and residents. The international HIV and HCV clinical pharmacology research and training is supported by NIH funding for the NIAID HIV Clinical Pharmacology Quality Assurance Program, the NIAID AIDS Clinical Trials Group Pharmacology Specialty Laboratory and an HIV Training and Research Program (HTRP) in Clinical Pharmacology with the University of Zimbabwe from the Fogarty International Center.

The UB HIV and HCV Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory provides international and national leadership through IAS faculty membership; editorial board activity for www.Antimicrobe.org; chair for the ACTG Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory Core; membership on ACTG Transformative Sciences Group; chair, Annual HIV Clinical Pharmacology Capacity Building Symposium at IAS and Co-Director, SUNY Global Health Institute.

As one of the leading antiviral pharmacology programs, we are focused in the following areas:

  1. Conducting innovative HIV and HCV clinical and translational research.
  2. Investigating novel biomatrices and compartments for the measurement of antiviral activity.
  3. Integrating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics with human and viral genomics and proteomics to facilitate and accelerate drug development research.  
  4. Promoting capacity building to train translational scientists and build global research infrastructure for antivirals and associated co-infections.

Our laboratory provides a global antiviral proficiency testing program through an NIH contract and conducts laboratory site assessments as a component of research quality assurance and capacity building.  We also are the PIs for the NIAID Precautionary and Prohibited Medications Database, a resource for NIH investigators designing protocols for antiviral drug development.

Equipment and Laboratory Information

Quality Assurance

The TPRC laboratory operation has a peer quality assurance program that reviews all analytical procedures to comply with NYSDOH and CLIA requirements and operates closely with GLP standards. The TPRC laboratory’s analytical chromatographic equipment, electronic systems and software are covered under maintenance contract agreements. The TPRC laboratory utilizes the university’s Environment, Health & Safety department for the inspections of chemical fume hoods, and an outside company for biological safety cabinets and freezers, as well as other equipment not covered under warranties. 

The TPRC laboratory is staffed with highly trained and experienced scientific and support personnel, including NYSDOE-certified Medical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians. The TPRC staff are regularly trained in safe laboratory practices, including biological safety, chemical safety and chemical hazardous waste handling and disposal.