Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a major public health threat in
Latin America and Mexico, and recognized as an emerging infectious
disease in the U.S. Dr. Garg’s research program focuses upon two major
areas dealing with CCM pathogenesis and vaccine
development. The studies in the first program are aimed at
understanding a) the parasite-induced changes in gene regulation and the
signaling cascade that contribute to myocardial cytoskeletal
rearrangement and mitochondrial dysfunction; and b) the
role of free radicals in initiation and/or sustenance of the
pathological processes, i.e., inflammation, oxidative damage, and
clinical severity of cardiac disease. A second program focuses on
screening the T. cruzi genome and identifying of vaccine
candidates. The goal of these studies is to develop an optimal
vaccine cocktail that provides maximal protective immunity to T. cruzi
in a variety of host strains. Collaborators are at UTMB and several
laboratories in Argentina and Mexico.
Policy Interests
Dr.
Garg serves as Franklin Fellow at the USAID. In this capacity, she is
interested in engaging government and non-government organizations in
the development of regional "trust fund" mechanisms to address selected
Neglected Tropical Diseases throughout
the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. She works closely with
USAID’s Bureau for Global Health, Office of Health, Infectious Diseases
and Nutrition, and with the team responsible for development of the
overall strategic planning and implementation
of the global NTDs initiative under the President Obama’s Global
Health Initiative (GHI) that announced $63 billion commitment to global
health. Additionally, she assisted in the development of policy and
practice to meet President Obama’s
GHI goal to eliminate onchoceriasis in the Americas by 2014.