Institute of Human Virology’s Mohammad Sajadi Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation

The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) elected Mohammad Sajadi, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) as a 2022 member.

The ASCI is one of the U.S.’s oldest and respected nonprofit medical honor societies that focuses on supporting research efforts, medical education, and clinical practice in their members to improve the health of all people. Its more than 3,000 members are elected for outstanding scholarly achievement.

Dr. Sajadi is one of 95 new members that was inducted into the Society at the ASCI Dinner and New Member Induction Ceremony during their annual meeting on April 8, 2022.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Sajadi on his much-deserved election to ASCI,” said Shyam Kottilil, MBBS, PhD, Professor of Medicine at the UMSOM and Director of UMSOM’s Institute of Human Virology (IHV) Division of Clinical Care and Research. “Dr. Sajadi is an exceptional physician-scientist and has made significant contributions in the field of HIV pathogenesis through his work with people known as HIV elite controllers, or those who have HIV but never develop symptoms nor require medications. He is an astute clinician, extraordinary mentor, and a skilled researcher — all attributes for a true translational scientist.”

Dr. Sajadi’s research interests involve studying the antibody response created by the immune system to disable viruses, specifically HIV and most recently SARS-CoV-2. In particular, he has identified antibodies from HIV elite neutralizers, people who make extraordinary antibodies that disable HIV, modifying these antibodies to make them even more potent to develop potential preventatives or therapies.

“We are very happy and proud of our colleague Dr. Sajadi and pleased to see ASCI’s recognition of his work,” said Robert C. Gallo, MD, the Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine at UMSOM, Co-Founder and Director of the UMSOM’s Institute of Human Virology, and Co-Founder and Chair of the Scientific Leadership Board of the Global Virus Network. “We extend our heartiest congratulations. He is most deserving of this membership.”

With a specialty in infectious diseases, Dr. Sajadi is board certified in both infectious disease and internal medicine. He attended medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and then returned later for his fellowship.

About the Institute of Human Virology

Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland, and the University of Maryland Medical System, the IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally-recognized and world-renowned experts in all of virology. The IHV combines the disciplines of basic research, epidemiology, and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders, most notably HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. For more information, visit ihv.org and follow us on Twitter @IHVmaryland.