Mark Sharkey, Ph.D.

Dr. Mark Sharkey has maintained a strong passion for Biology and Chemistry since childhood, which led him to pursue a career in scientific research. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Clark University in 1993 and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship by the Lalor Foundation to investigate matrix metalloproteinase gene expression during mouse embryo implantation. He later received support from the National Institutes of Health to deepen his expertise in HIV Biology and pathogenesis.

Dr. Sharkey has been actively engaged in HIV/AIDS research for over thirty years, focusing on HIV accessory genes and the mechanisms behind viral persistence and reservoir formation despite effective antiviral therapy. He currently serves as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His research is conducted within a dynamic environment that includes the Miami Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and the HIV/AIDS and Emerging Infections Disease Institute (HEIDI).

In addition to his work on HIV, Dr. Sharkey has cultivated numerous scientific and clinical collaborations to study human pathogens such as Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2. He is involved in an ongoing project with colleagues from the University of Miami College of Engineering and the University of Miami Hospital to monitor wastewater for pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, polio, RSV, influenza, and Candida auris. The team aims to expand this monitoring to additional pathogens, especially in light of recent challenges affecting public vaccination programs.

Dr. Sharkey also has a keen interest in developing simple, cost-effective assays to detect clinically relevant polymorphisms that confer resistance to HIV antiviral compounds. His goal is to implement these tools in resource-limited regions to enhance the clinical management of HIV and associated co-morbidities.