Ravi Mahalingam, PhD

Professional Titles

• Research Professor

Recognitions

• Keynote speaker at IHW 2018 in Vancouver, VZV Foundation (2018)
  Each year VZV Foundation selects and expert in the field of VZV research to present their research at the International Herpesvirus Workshop

Research Interests

Currently, my laboratory is involved in identification of cell types that transport varicella to skin and ganglia during varicella. During the past 10 years, I have been characterizing the phenotype of the T-cells that respond to varicella reactivation and have been identifying signaling molecules that recruit T cells to ganglia. Because (varicella zoster virus) VZV and (simian varicella virus) SVV are highly species-specific, my laboratory is also involved in the preparation of a VZV-SVV chimeric virus to enable direct studies of VZV infection in primates and to help identify specific regions of the VZV and SVV genomes that are responsible for species specificity

Publications

• Haug, A., Mahalingam, R., Cohrs, R.J., Schmid, D.S., Corboy, J.R., Gilden, D. 2010. Recurrent polymorphonuclear pleocytosis with increased red blood cells caused by varicella zoster virus infection of the central nervous system, Case report and review of literature. J. Neurol Sci 292:85-88
• Nagel, M.A., Mahalingam, R., Cohrs, R.J., Gilden, D. 2010. Virus vasculapthy and stroke: An under-recognized cause and treatment target. Infectious Diseases – Drug Targets 10:105-11.
• Brazeau, E., Mahalingam, R., Gilden, D., Wellish, M., Kaufer, B.B., Osterrider, K., Pugazhenthi, S. 2010. Varicella zoster virus-induced apoptosis in MeWo cells is accompanied by downregulation of Bcl-2 expression J NeuroVirol 16:133-140.
• Mahalingam, R., Messaoudi, I., Gilden, D. 2010. Simian varicella virus pathogenesis: In Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 342:309-321.
• Gilden D., Cohrs R.J., Mahalingam R., Nagel M.A. 2010. Neurological disease produced by varicella zoster virus reactivation without rash. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 342: 243-253.
• Mahalingam, R., Traina-Dorge, V., Wellish, M., Deharo, E., Singletary, M., Ribka, R., Sanford, R., Gilden, D. 2010. Latent simian varicella virus reactivates in monkeys treated with tacrolimus with or without exposure to irradiation. J NeuroVirol 16:342-354.
• Salazar, R., Russman, A.N., Nagel, M.A., Cohrs, R.J., Mahalingam, R., Schmid, D.S., Kleinschmidt-DeMasters, B.K., VanEgmond, E.M., Gilden, D.,VZV Ischemic Optic neuropathy and Subclinical Temporal Artery Involvement. Arch Neurol 2011 (in press)
• Mahalingam, R., Traina-Dorge, V., Wellish, M., Deharo, E. Golive, A., Messaoudi, I., Gilden D. Effect of time delay after necropsy on analysis of simian varicella virus expression in latently infected ganglia of rhesus macaques. 2010. J Virol 84(23):12454-12457.
• Gilden, D., Mahalingam R., Nagel M.A., Pugazhenthi, S., Cohrs, R.J. The neurobiology of varicella zoster virus infection. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology.2011 (in press)
• Blumenthal, D.T., Shacham-Shmueli, E., Bokstein, F., Schmid, D.S., Cohrs, R.J., Nagel, M.A., Mahalingam, R., Gilden, D. 2011. Zoster sine herpete: virologic verification by detection of anti-VZV IgG antibody in CSF. Neurology 76:484-485.
• Brazeau, E.,Wellish, M., Kaufer, B.B., Tischer, B.K., Gray, W., Zhou, F.,Osterrieder, N., Hanlon, T., Golive, A., Hall, T., Nair S., Owens, G.P., Mueller, N.H., Cohrs, R.J., Pugazhenthi, P., Gilden, D.H., Mahalingam, R. Simian varicella virus open reading frame 63/70 expression is required for efficient virus replication in culture. J NeuroVirol 2011 (in press).
• Nagel, M.A., Traktinskiy, I., Azarkh, Y., DeMasters, B-.K., Whyte, E.T.H-., Russman, A.,VanEgmond,E.M., Stenmark, K., Frid, M., Mahalingam, R., Wellish, M., Choe, A., Cordery-Cotter, R., Randall J. Cohrs, R.J. Gilden, D. Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: analysis of virus-infected arteries. Neurology 2011 (in press).
• Tsai, J., Cohrs, R.J., Nagel, M.A., Mahalingam, R., Schmid, S., Choe, A., Gilden, D. 2012 Reactivation of type 1 herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus in an immunosuppressed patient with acute peripheral facial weakness. J Neurol Sci 313 193-5.
• Ouwendijk W.J.D.,, Mahalingam R., Traina-Dorge, V., Amerongen, Geert van., Wellish, M., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., Gilden,D.H., Verjans, G.M.G.M. 2012 Simian varicella virus infection of chinese rhesus macaques produces ganglionic infection in the absence of rash J NeuroVirol (in press).
• Mueller, N., Bos, N., Seitz, S., Wellish, M., Mahalingam, R., Gilden, D., Cohrs, R. 2012. Recombinant Antibody Recognizes a Unique Epitope on Varicella-Zoster Virus Immediate-Early 63 Protein. J Virol 86:6345-6349
• Wolf,J., Nagel, M., Mahalingam, R., Cohrs, R., Schmid, S., Gilden, D. 2012. Chronic active varicella zoster virus infection.2012. Neurology 79:828-829.
• Birlea, M., Owens,G., Eshleman, E., Ritchie, A., Traktinskiy, I., Bos, N., Seitz, S., Azarkh,Y.,, Mahalingam, R., Gilden, D., Cohrs, R. (2012) Human Anti-Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody Produced after Zostavax Immunization Recognizes gH/gL Complex and Neutralizes VZV Infection. 2013. J Virol. 87:415-421.
• James, S.F., Mahalingam, R., Gilden, D.: Does apoptosis play a role in varicella zoster virus latency and reactivation? 2012. Viruses 4:1509-1514.
• Birlea, M., Nagel, M.A., Cohrs, R.J., Mahalingam, R., James, S., Gilden, D.: VZV. In: Encyclopedia of Neurological Sciences 2E (M.J. Aminoff, R.D. Daroff, eds.), Elsevier Inc., San Diego, CA., 2014, (in press)
• Silver, B., Nagel, M.A., Mahalingam, R., Cohrs, R., Schmid, D.S., Gilden, D.: Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: A treatable form of rapidly progressive multi-infarct dementia after 2 years' duration. 2012. J Neurol Sci. 323:245-247.
• Ouwendijk, W.J.D., Abendroth, A., Traina-Dorge, V., Getu, S., Steain, M., Wellish, M., Andeweg, A.C., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., Gilden, D., Verjans, G.M.G.M., Mahalingam, R.: T-cell infiltration correlates with CXCL10 expression in ganglia of cynomolgus macaques with reactivated simian varicella virus. 2013. J. Virol. 87(5):2979-82.
• Ouwendijk, W.J.D., Mahalingam, R., de Swart, R.L., Haagmans, B.L., van Amerongen, G., Getu S., Gilden, D., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., and Verjans, G.M.G.M. T-Cell Tropism of Simian Varicella Virus During Primary Infection. PLoS pathogens 2013 (in press).
• James SF, Traina-Dorge V, Deharo E, Wellish M, Palmer BE, Gilden D, Mahalingam R. T cells increase before zoster and PD-1 expression increases at the time of zoster in immunosuppressed nonhuman primates latently infected with simian varicella virus. J Neurovirol. 2014 Feb 19. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24549971
• Gilden D, Nagel MA, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R. The variegate neurological manifestations of varicella zoster virus infection. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2013 Sep;13(9):374. PubMed PMID: 23884722
• Nagel MA, Choe A, Gilden D, Traina-Dorge V, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R. GeXPS multiplex PCR analysis of the simian varicella virus transcriptome in productively infected cells in culture and acutely infected ganglia. J Virol Methods. 2013 Oct;193(1):151-8. PubMed PMID: 23769859
• Traina-Dorge V, Sanford R, James S, Doyle-Meyers LA, de Haro E, Wellish M, Gilden D, Mahalingam R. Robust pro-inflammatory and lesser anti-inflammatory immune responses during primary simian varicella virus infection and reactivation in rhesus macaques. J Neurovirol. 2014 Oct;20(5):526-30. PubMed PMID: 25139181
• James, S.F., Traina-Dorge, V., Deharo E., Wellish M., Palmer, B., Gilden, D., Mahalingam, R. T cells increase before zoster and PD-1 expression increases at the time of zoster in immunosuppressed non-human primates latently infected with simian varicella virus. J NeuroVirol (2014) 20 (3):309-13.
• Teodoro, T., Nagel b, Geraldes R., White, T., Mahalingam, R., Batista, P., Wellish, M Pimentel, J., Khmeleva, N., Heintzman, A., Albuquerque, L., Boyer, P.J., Choe, A., Rita Peralta, R., Gilden, D., Biopsy-negative, varicella zoster virus (VZV)-positive giant cell arteritis, zoster, VZV encephalitis and ischemic optic neuropathy, all in one. J Neurol Sci (2014) 343 (1-2):195-7
• Gilden D, White TM, Khmeleva N , Heintzman A, Choe A, Boyer PJ, Grose C, John E. Carpenter JE, Rempel A, Bos N, Kandasamy B, Lear-Kaul K, Holmes DB, Bennett JL, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R, Mandava N, Eberhart CG, Bockelman B, Poppiti RJ, Tamhankar MA, Fogt F, Amato M, Wood E, Durairaj V, Rasmussen S, Petursdottir V, Pollak L, Mendlovic S, Chatelain D, Keyvani K, Brueck, W, Nagel, MA. Prevalence and distribution of VZV in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis Neurology 2015. in press.
• Ouwendijk WJ, Getu S, Mahalingam R, Gilden D, Osterhaus AD, Verjans GM. Characterization of the immune response in ganglia after primary simian varicella virus infection. J Neurovirol. 2015 Dec 16. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26676825
• Traina-Dorge V, Doyle-Meyers LA, Sanford R, Manfredo J, Blackmon A, Wellish M, James S, Alvarez X, Midkiff C, Palmer BE, Deharo E, Gilden D, Mahalingam R. Simian Varicella Virus Is Present in Macrophages, Dendritic Cells, and T Cells in Lymph Nodes of Rhesus Macaques after Experimental Reactivation. J Virol. 2015 Oct;89(19):9817-24. PubMed PMID: 26178993
• Verweij MC, Wellish M, Whitmer T, Malouli D, Lapel M, Jonjic S, Haas JG, DeFilippis VR, Mahalingam R, Früh K. Varicella Viruses Inhibit Interferon-Stimulated JAK-STAT Signaling through Multiple Mechanisms. PLoS Pathog. 2015 May;11(5):e1004901. PubMed PMID: 25973608
• Gilden D, White T, Khmeleva N, Heintzman A, Choe A, Boyer PJ, Grose C, Carpenter JE, Rempel A, Bos N, Kandasamy B, Lear-Kaul K, Holmes DB, Bennett JL, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R, Mandava N, Eberhart CG, Bockelman B, Poppiti RJ, Tamhankar MA, Fogt F, Amato M, Wood E, Durairaj V, Rasmussen S, Petursdottir V, Pollak L, Mendlovic S, Chatelain D, Keyvani K, Brueck W, Nagel MA. Prevalence and distribution of VZV in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis. Neurology. 2015 May 12;84(19):1948-55. PubMed PMID: 25695965
• Varicella Zoster Virus in the Nervous System [version 1; referees: 3 approved] F1000Research 2015, 4(F1000 Faculty Rev):1356 (doi: 10.12688/f1000research.7153.1)
• Gilden D, Nagel M, Cohrs R, Mahalingam R, Baird N. Varicella Zoster Virus in the Nervous System. F1000Res. 2015 Nov 26;4. PubMed PMID: 26918131
• Ouwendijk WJ, Getu S, Mahalingam R, Gilden D, Osterhaus AD, Verjans GM. Characterization of the immune response in ganglia after primary simian varicella virus infection. J Neurovirol. 2016 Jun;22(3):376-88. PubMed PMID: 26676825
• Ouwendijk WJD, van Veen S, Mahalingam R, Verjans GMGM. Simian varicella virus inhibits the interferon gamma signalling pathway. J Gen Virol. 2017 Sep 13. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28901902
• Traina-Dorge V, Palmer BE, Coleman C, Hunter M, Frieman A, Gilmore A, Altrock K, Doyle-Meyers L, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R. Reactivation of Simian Varicella Virus (SVV) in Rhesus Macaques After CD4 T Cell Depletion. J Virol. 2018 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30404798
• Ouwendijk WJD, van Veen S, Mehraban T, Mahalingam R, Verjans GMGM. Simian Varicella Virus Infects Enteric Neurons and a4ß7 Integrin-Expressing Gut-Tropic T-Cells in Nonhuman Primates. Viruses. 2018 Mar 28;10(4). PubMed PMID: 29597335
• Mahalingam, Kaufer B, Ouwendijk,WJD, c Verjans GMGM,Coleman C,Hunter M,e Palmer, B, Clambey, E, Nagel M, Traina-Dorge V. Attenuation of Simian Varicella Virus Infection by Enhanced Green Fluorescent 1 Protein in Rhesus Macaques. J Virol. (2018)
• Mahalingam R, Gershon A, Gershon M, Cohen JI, Arvin A, Zerboni L, Zhu H, Gray W, Messaoudi I, Traina-Dorge V. Current In Vivo Models of Varicella-Zoster Virus Neurotropism. Viruses. 2019 May 31;11(6). PubMed PMID: 31159224
• Bubak AN, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE Jr, Mescher T, Niemeyer CS, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Varicella Zoster Virus Infection of Primary Human Spinal Astrocytes Produces Intracellular Amylin, Amyloid-beta, and an Amyloidogenic Extracellular Environment. J Infect Dis. 2019 Oct 29. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31665341
• Traina-Dorge V, Mehta S, Rooney B, Crucian B, Doyle-Meyers L, Das A, Coleman C, Nagel M, Mahalingam R. Simian Varicella Virus DNA in Saliva and Buccal Cells After Experimental Acute Infection in Rhesus Macaques. Front Microbiol. 2019;10:1009. PubMed PMID: 31143167
• Traina-Dorge V, Palmer BE, Coleman C, Hunter M, Frieman A, Gilmore A, Altrock K, Doyle-Meyers L, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R. Reactivation of Simian Varicella Virus in Rhesus Macaques after CD4 T Cell Depletion. J Virol. 2019 Feb 1;93(3). PubMed PMID: 30404798
• Bubak AN, Beseler C, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE, Burnet AM, Mescher T, Schmid DS, Coleman C, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Shilleh AH, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Amylin, Aß42, and Amyloid in VZV Vasculopathy Cerebrospinal Fluid and Infected Vascular Cells. J Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 18. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32809013
• Bubak AN, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE, Mescher T, Niemeyer CS, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection of Primary Human Spinal Astrocytes Produces Intracellular Amylin, Amyloid-ß, and an Amyloidogenic Extracellular Environment. J Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 16;221(7):1088-1097. PubMed PMID: 31665341
• Bubak AN, Traina-Dorge V, Como CN, Feia B, Pearce CM, Doyle-Meyers L, Das A, Looper J, Mahalingam R, Nagel MA. Elevated serum substance P during simian varicella virus infection in rhesus macaques: implications for chronic inflammation and adverse cerebrovascular events. J Neurovirol. 2020 Sep 22. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32964407
• Bubak AN, Beseler C, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE, Burnet AM, Mescher T, Schmid DS, Coleman C, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Shilleh AH, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Amylin, Aß42, and Amyloid in Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy Cerebrospinal Fluid and Infected Vascular Cells. J Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 8;223(7):1284-1294. PubMed PMID: 32809013
• Bubak AN, Coughlan C, Posey J, Saviola AJ, Niemeyer CS, Lewis SWR, Lopez SB, Solano A, Tyring SK, Delaney C, Neeves KB, Mahalingam R, Hansen KC, Nagel MA. Zoster-associated Prothrombotic Plasma Exosomes and Increased Stroke Risk. J Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 6. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36200236
• Grose C, Rovnak J, Mahalingam R. The Enduring Legacy of Randall Cohrs: A Meeting of the Minds in the Rocky Mountains. Viruses. 2022 Apr 28;14(5). PubMed PMID: 35632657
• Mahalingam R, Feia B, Coleman C, Anupindi K, Saravanan P, Luthens A, Bustillos A, Das A, de Haro E, Doyle-Meyers L, Looper J, Bubak AN, Niemeyer CS, Palmer B, Nagel MA, Traina-Dorge V. Simian Varicella Virus Pathogenesis in Skin during Varicella and Zoster. Viruses. 2022 May 27;14(6). PubMed PMID: 35746639
• Sarkar L, Oko L, Gupta S, Bubak AN, Das B, Gupta P, Safiriyu AA, Singhal C, Neogi U, Bloom D, Banerjee A, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Koval M, Shindler KS, Pal D, Nagel M, Sarma JD. Azadirachta indica A. Juss bark extract and its Nimbin isomers restrict ß-coronaviral infection and replication. Virology. 2022 Apr;569:13-28. PubMed PMID: 35219218
• Bubak AN, Coughlan C, Posey J, Saviola AJ, Niemeyer CS, Lewis SWR, Lopez SB, Solano A, Tyring SK, Delaney C, Neeves KB, Mahalingam R, Hansen KC, Nagel MA. Zoster-Associated Prothrombotic Plasma Exosomes and Increased Stroke Risk. J Infect Dis. 2023 Apr 18;227(8):993-1001. PubMed PMID: 36200236
• Arumugam I, Rajasekaran SS, Gopalakrishnan K, Gnanaskandan S, Jeganathan SN, Athi J, Shanmugaraj R, Ramesh R, Shankar V, Krishnasamy K, Ranganathan LN, Balakrishnan U, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN, Nagel MA, Srikanth P. Diagnostic value of anti-VZV IgG in neurological diseases among varicella unvaccinated individuals. J Neurovirol. 2024 Jun;30(3):327-335. PubMed PMID: 39085748
• Niemeyer CS, Frietze S, Coughlan C, Lewis SWR, Bustos Lopez S, Saviola AJ, Hansen KC, Medina EM, Hassell JE Jr, Kogut S, Traina-Dorge V, Nagel MA, Bruce KD, Restrepo D, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN. Suppression of the host antiviral response by non-infectious varicella zoster virus extracellular vesicles. J Virol. 2024 Aug 20;98(8):e0084824. PubMed PMID: 39051773
• Niemeyer CS, Traina-Dorge V, Doyle-Meyers L, Das A, Looper J, Mescher T, Feia B, Medina E, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN. Simian varicella virus infection and reactivation in rhesus macaques trigger cytokine and Aß40/42 alterations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. J Neurovirol. 2024 Feb;30(1):86-99. PubMed PMID: 38453879
• Niemeyer CS, Traina-Dorge V, Doyle-Meyers L, Das A, Looper J, Mescher T, Feia B, Medina E, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN. Simian Varicella Virus Infection and Reactivation in Rhesus Macaques Trigger Cytokine and Aß40/42 Alterations in Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid. Res Sq. 2023 Oct 16. PubMed PMID: 37886544
• Bubak AN, Coughlan C, Posey J, Saviola AJ, Niemeyer CS, Lewis SWR, Lopez SB, Solano A, Tyring SK, Delaney C, Neeves KB, Mahalingam R, Hansen KC, Nagel MA. Zoster-Associated Prothrombotic Plasma Exosomes and Increased Stroke Risk. J Infect Dis. 2023 Apr 18;227(8):993-1001. PubMed PMID: 36200236

Professional Memberships

• American Society of Virology, Member
• International Society for Neurovirology, Member
• Journal of NeurovVirology, Editorial Board Member
• BMC Infectious Diseases, Editorial Board Member
• Frontiers in Virology, Associate Editor

Practice Locations

UCHealth Neurosciences Center - Anschutz Medical Campus
1635 Aurora Ct
4th Floor
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-2080