Donald Alcendor

Donald J. Alcendor, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and holds a primary appointment as Associate Professor of Cancer Biology at Meharry Medical College. In the field of Biology, his expertise spans molecular virology and viral oncology. He earned his B.S. in Microbiology from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, an M.S. in Bacteriology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from the University of California, Davis. Alcendor completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins University in the departments of Molecular Virology and Viral Oncology, respectively.

Alcendor's research investigates the pathogenesis of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), the causative agent of HIV/AIDS-associated Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), focusing on dysregulated genes including galectin-3, fibulin-2, and fibulin-5 in KSHV-infected dermal microvascular endothelial cells. These genes are implicated in tumor angiogenesis, progression, and metastasis, positioning them as potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets to modulate viral replication and malignancy. His studies also explore cytomegalovirus trafficking across blood-brain and retinal barriers, addressing neuropathological implications for congenital diseases. As Co-Director of CC-SWG, a brain-on-chip investigator partnering with Vanderbilt and the Cleveland Clinic, and an external associate member of the Vanderbilt VIIBRE consortium, he advances integrative biosystems research. Alcendor has published extensively, with key works such as 'KSHV downregulation of galectin-3 in kaposi's sarcoma' (Glycobiology, 2010), 'Patterns of divergence in the rapidly evolving vCXC and vGPCR gene clusters in primate cytomegalovirus genomes' (Virology, 2009), 'Dual labeled Immunohistochemistry in Kaposi's Sarcoma' (Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2010), and chapters on KSHV in 'Viral Oncology: Basic Science and Clinical Applications' (2010). He serves as Cytomegalovirus Expert for the FDA Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a consultant and voting member on the FDA Antiviral Drug Advisory Committee, and a committee member on the Independent Research Evaluation and Decision Panel for the NCI-AIDS Malignancy Program, contributing to antiviral policy and oncology research.

Professional Email: donald.j.alcendor@vanderbilt.edu