Biography

Dr. Nekhai has a master’s degree in Physics and Engineering from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia and Ph.D. degree in Biophysics from Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute. He had a postdoctoral training at George Washington University and Children’s National Medical Center in 1994-1997 in Virology and Immunology. Dr. Nekhai joined Howard University’s Center for Sickle Cell Disease in 2000 where he conducts basic and translation studies on Sickle Cell Disease, HIV-1 and Ebola virus infections. He is also involved in translational studies on pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease and community service for sickle cell patients. He investigates iron metabolism in Africans and African Americans. He served as co-Director for Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease from 2011-2017, and as Deputy Director since 2017. He leads Research Centers in Minority Institution (RCMI) Proteomics Program at Howard University. He serves as Director for Basic Science for Washington DC Center for AIDS Research. Dr. Nekhai’s current and past funding includes National Institute of Health grants including RO1, U19, P50 and G12 for which he has served as a PI, co-PI or PD. He supervised and trained primarily African American minority junior Faculty,  Ph.D. students and MD fellows, undergraduate and high school students. He has over 150 publications in basic virology and hematology journals. Dr. Nekhai serves on National Institute of Health grant review panels. He chairs Howard University Radiation Safety Committee and Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee for Howard University College of Medicine.