Steven D. Douglas, MD

Dr. Steven D. Douglas has been investigating cellular immune mechanisms and monocyte-macrophages over many years. He and his group investigate the interaction between neuropeptides, monocyte-macrophages and HIV.

Dr. Douglas is the principal investigator for the Philadelphia International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Unit, which includes a clinical research Site at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Adult Unit at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Hospital.

Dr. Douglas’ laboratory is the central immunology laboratory for the IMPAACT Network, and a specialty immunology laboratory. He is the principal investigator for the Adolescent Trial Network. These networks are state-of-the-art therapeutic trials for adult and pediatric HIV/AIDS throughout the world. Dr. Douglas' ongoing program involves molecular and cellular immunologic studies of substance P in monocyte-macrophages. His laboratory has discovered the truncated from of NK1-R and demonstrated that SP antagonists block HIV through CCR5 and applied as novel HIV therapy. He has also demonstrated up-regulation of substance P by HIV.

In addition, his laboratory is actively involved in research in cellular immunology and its relationship to the immunopathogenesis of HIV. Dr. Douglas has extensive experience in cellular and humoral immunologic studies, including studies of AIDS infection and of primary immunodeficiencies. He has recently instigated studies involving psychosocial and psychiatric interactions with the immune and nervous systems.

Ongoing studies have demonstrated associations between substance P, impaired natural killer cell activity and depression in HIV-infected individuals.; Early in his career, Dr. Douglas discovered pokeweed as a mitogen that stimulates lymphocytes and developed tests to diagnose immune deficiency diseases. He developed methods for isolation-differentiation of blood monocytes into macrophages and showed the role of macrophages in HIV. He detected SP-preferring receptor, neurokinin-1 (NK1R), in monocytes, and that SP antagonists inhibit HIV. He is testing NK1R antagonists as therapy for HIV patients.

Dr. Douglas has been president of the Society for Leukocyte Biology. He has chaired committees for the VA, FDA (Blood Products Advisory Committee) and chairs the NIH-CSR (AIDS Immunology Pathogenesis Study Section).

He was the founding editor-in-chief of Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, American Society Microbiology.

He was the recipient of Abbott Immunology, Neter, Conason, and Redway Awards.

He is a member of ASCI, American Academy Microbiology, Honorary Life Member Society for Leukocyte Biology, Fellow AAAS.  

Dr. Douglas is developing new HIV-l therapies that utilize novel antiviral mechanisms, exert a positive immunomodulatory effect and have positive behavioral effects.