Avindra Nath, MD, FANA
National Institutes of Health
Avindra Nath, MD, FANA, is the clinical director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at NIH. He is also chief of the Section of Infections of the Nervous System. His research has focused on emerging infections since the beginning of the AIDS pandemic by establishing key global collaborations. He started his research career studying the neuropathogenesis of HIV infection and has applied those principles to study endogenous retroviruses. He has also studied the neuropathogenesis of Ebola, Zika Virus and SARS-CoV-2 and conducts research on patients with undiagnosed neuroinflammatory disorders. The common underlying theme is to study mechanisms of viral persistence in the brain and develop novel therapeutic approaches. He is the past president and recipient of the Pioneer Award from the International Society for NeuroVirology and received an award for scientific achievements by the World Federation of Neurology. He is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians, the National Academy of Medicine, a fellow of AAAS and a previous board member of the ANA. In 2024, TIME magazine named him amongst the 100 most influential people in health.