Guido Silvestri, MD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has served as interim department chair since October 2018. He is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Comparative Pathology and he serves as director of the Division of Microbiology & Immunology at the Emory National Primate Research Center.
Dr. Silvestri received his MD from the University of Ancona, Italy, and after finishing his service in the Italian Navy, he completed his training in Internal Medicine/Allergology and Clinical Immunology. In 2001, Dr. Silvestri received a Board Certification in Clinical Pathology upon completion of a residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
His work is focused on AIDS pathogenesis, prevention, and therapy, mostly using non-human primate models of SIV and SHIV infection, with particular focus on comparative studies of pathogenic and non-pathogenic primate lentiviral infections, as well as studies aimed at eradicating the HIV reservoir. Since 2001, Dr. Silvestri has directed an independent NIH-funded research program. He is currently the principal investigator or a co-investigator of eighteen NIH grants, including a prestigious R37 MERIT award, and is author of 254 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including two studies that appeared in the Feb. 6, 2020 issue of Nature.
Since taking on the interim department role, Dr. Silvestri has recruited numerous physicians in the divisions of anatomic and clinical pathology as well as nine basic and translational scientists. He also has established active partnerships with several other SOM departments and centers, and has developed an aggressive departmental plan to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellness. We look forward to the continued growth and success of this department under Dr. Silvestri’s leadership.