Growing up in Cameroon, Georgette Kanmogne, PhD, witnessed the impact of parasitic diseases like trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, which fueled her interest in molecular parasitology.
The area she grew up in was very poor, without electricity, running water or indoor plumbing, she said.
Dr. Kanmogne said it was the loss of a close friend and classmate during her studies in molecular parasitology at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom that redirected her path toward HIV research.
In 1996, as HIV was spreading rampantly across African nations, Dr. Kanmogne lost a close friend and classmate to AIDS. Visiting him in the hospital, she witnessed firsthand the effects of the disease on his body and mind, leaving him unable to recognize his family. This experience redirected her path toward research on what HIV does to the brain and how infection leads to impaired cognition, a commitment that has spanned over two decades.
Dr. Kanmogne came to the United States in 1998, to attend the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, where she earned her Master of Public Health degree, before joining UNMC in 2005.
As a professor in the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, Dr. Kanmogne has explored the intricate relationships between HIV and comorbidities, such as Alzheimer’s disease and aging, and how these conditions interact and influence HIV neuropathology.
“Over half of people living with HIV in the USA are now over 50 years old and this proportion is expected to rise to 70% by 2030,” Dr. Kanmogne said. “The population of older adults with HIV is increasing globally, including in sub-Saharan Africa where 65% of the current 39 million people living with HIV reside.”
These individuals are more susceptible to comorbidities, she said, including neurocognitive impairment.
“We’re trying to understand the intersection between HIV, aging processes, and cognitive decline” Dr. Kanmogne said. “Understanding these crosstalks will help design therapeutic approaches that promote healthy aging, reduce comorbidities and improve the quality of life for those affected”.
Previous research, led by Dr. Kanmogne and published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration in 2021, showed that treatment with an antagonist of the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) significantly reduced HIV-induced Alzheimer’s-like brain pathologies and protected the blood-brain barrier.
“The goal is to understand how virus-triggered signals and cell interactions affect blood vessel health and contribute to diseases,” she said. “And then use this understanding to develop new treatments for virus-caused damage to blood vessels and related brain and lung issues.”
Dr. Kanmogne’s work combines cutting-edge technology with a unique focus on understudied populations facing health disparities, said Karsten Bartels, MD, PhD, vice chair of research in the department.
“Her research focus will significantly strengthen our department’s portfolio, which already includes several funded HIV researchers,” Dr. Bartels said. “Being an internationally acclaimed researcher and tenure professor at UNMC, we look forward to our junior investigators benefitting from Dr. Kanmogne’s superb mentorship.”
Dr. Kanmogne said she is excited to join the department and continue her research. The effect of anesthetics on the aging brain is an area of discovery that she would like to make a difference in. “I’m thrilled to find possible ways to collaborate with the faculty,” she said. “Everyone has been very welcoming.”
Last year, Dr. Kanmogne received a five-year, $3.6 million R01 grant funded by the National Institutes of Health to investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating the protective effects of CCR5 antagonists and whether co-administration of antiretroviral drugs with the CCR5 antagonist maraviroc can prevent the formation of amyloid plaques and neurodegeneration that leads to cognitive impairments.
When not at work, Dr. Kanmogne destresses by reconnecting with nature, taking long walks on a trail, finding adventure, or just sitting down and thinking about life. “One of my most joyful moments is to just relax, to just be in nature.”
Mohanad Shukry, MD, PhD, interim chair of the department, welcomed Dr. Kanmogne. “Her work continues to make significant strides in understanding and mitigating the impacts of HIV and its associated comorbidities, reflecting her lifelong commitment to improving global health. Her research will enable us to understand the effects of general anesthesia on the aging brain and we are very excited about that.”