Marra, Christina, MD
Professor, Neurology and Medicine.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Department of Neurology
Box 359775
University of Washington
Harborview Medical Center
Seattle, Washington 98195

Phone: (206) 731-3251
Fax: (206) 731-8787
cmarra@u.washington.edu

LINK TO CHRISTINA MARRA'S COMMUNITY OF SCIENCE WEB PAGE

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS


The focus of my research is on clinically relevant problems that relate to infections of the nervous system. 

My laboratory-based work centers on syphilis and neurosyphilis. I head a multi-center study that aims to identify laboratory measures that predict development of neurosyphilis and that predict the efficacy of therapy for neurosyphilis. We are also developing methods to distinguish cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities due to HIV from those due to infection with Treponema pallidum (the bacterium that causes syphilis). This study has enrolled more than 400 patients with syphilis and we have collected CSF and blood from these participants. A second study uses a model system to determine if the capacity for neuroinvasion of T. pallidum is conferred by specific surface proteins. 

I also participate in several clinical research projects. I am the Chair of the national Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AACTG) Neurology Subcommittee and am the protocol Chair for ACTG 736, "Neurology and cerebrospinal fluid substudy for trials of potent antiretroviral therapy." I am the Site Neurologist for the UW AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. I head a local study that uses novel neuroimaging techniques (functional MRI and functional MR spectroscopy) to identify changes in brain function in HIV-infected individuals who start potent antiretroviral therapies. 

Marra CM, Maxwell CL, Smith SL, Lukehart SA, Rompalo AM, Eaton M, Stoner BP, Augenbraun A, Barker DE, Corbett JJ, Zajackowski M, Raines C, Nerad J, Kee L, Barnett SH. Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities in patients with syphilis: association with clinical and laboratory features. J Infect Dis, in press. 

PUBLICATIONS

Marra CM, Lockhart D, Zunt JR, Perrin M, Coombs RW, Collier AC. Changes in CSF and plasma HIV-1 RNA and cognition after starting potent antiretroviral therapy. Neurology 60:1388-90, 2003.

Marra CM, Rajicic N, Barker DE, Cohen BA, Clifford D, Donovan Post MJ, et al. A pilot study of cidofovir for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in AIDS. AIDS 16:1791-7, 2002.