John Koethe, MD, MSCI

Dr. Koethe's research investigates the relationships between nutrition factors, body composition, and the health effects of long-term antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, particularly the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. A focus of his research is the role of adipose tissue in determining the body's response to HIV infection, including epidemiologic studies to characterize immune reconstitution, cardiometabolic function, and non-communicable disease, disease burden among HIV-infected individuals with a range of nutritional states from malnutrition to obesity. This is combined with translational studies to investigate the effect of adipose tissue and adipocytes on innate and cellular immune activation. A second focus of his work is the relationship between immune activation, metabolism, and nutritional recovery among undernourished HIV-infected adults starting antiretroviral therapy in Zambia and Tanzania. He gained HIV/AIDS research experience as a NIH-supported fellow at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia from 2008 to 2009, followed by formal training in clinical research design, methods, and biostatistics as a student in the Vanderbilt Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation Program. He has previously received a 2-year Vanderbilt Physician Scientist Development award and is currently supported by a K23 grant from NIAID (2012-2017) and an R56 grant from NIDDK (2015-2017). 

Education

M.D., Yale University 
MSCI, Vanderbilt University