Marissa Sakoda, MD

Medical School:
John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii

Undergraduate:
UC Berkley

Hometown:
Honolulu, HI

Post-residency plans:
TBD

Marissa earned her B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology with emphasis in Immunology at the University of California, Berkeley. She also minored in music while at UC Berkeley, and volunteered for many years as a violin and viola teacher for underserved students in the East Bay. Marissa returned home to Honolulu, Hawaii and completed her medical studies at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Her research focus during medical school was primarily on the neurocognitive effects of HIV infection. Marissa's interests include dance, hiking, watching NBA basketball, baking, and going to concerts.

Research interests

My research interests have included the neurocognitive effects of HIV infection and markers of inflammation that allow early detection of neurodegeneration. I am also interested in the use of functional neurimaging and measurements of regional brain volumes in HIV-positive patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Selected Publications

Sakoda, Marissa E., et al. “Higher Cystatin C Levels Are Associated With Neurocognitive Impairment in Older HIV+ Adults.” JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, vol. 74, no. 3, 2017, pp. 243–249.

Kallianpur, Kalpana J., et al. “Frailty Characteristics in Chronic HIV Patients Are Markers of White Matter Atrophy Independently of Age and Depressive Symptoms: A Pilot Study.” Open Medicine Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, pp. 138–152.

Awards/Accomplishments

American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Scholarship to the Annual Meeting 2015

National Institutes of Health Medical Student Training in Aging Research Fellowship 2014

Office of Student Affairs Merit Scholar, John A. Burns School of Medicine 2014

Hawaii Neurological Society Medical Student Award 2017