Dr. Susan L. Koletar, MD
Dr. Koletar joined the faculty in 1988. She was the Fellowship Program Training Director from 1993 to 2012 and the Principal Investigator of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at OSU since January 2002, and the Division Director since 2011. Her commitment to education has been recognized by a number of teaching awards, including the College of Medicine’s Professor of the Year in 1995 and the American College of Physicians/American Society of Internal Medicine Master Teacher Award in 2002. In 2007 she was selected as one of the "Best Doctors of America", by Best Doctors of America Inc.
Special Interests
Dr. Koletar's clinical interests are infections in immunocompromised hosts, especially HIV-infected and transplant recipients. Her research interests are the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of opportunistic and metabolic complications associated with HIV infection and its related therapies. She is currently working on a number of AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocols including a longitudinal study of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurologic complications in HIV-infected patients who have had significant increases in CD4 counts in response to potent antiretroviral therapy.
Special Interests
Dr. Koletar's clinical interests are infections in immunocompromised hosts, especially HIV-infected and transplant recipients. Her research interests are the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of opportunistic and metabolic complications associated with HIV infection and its related therapies. She is currently working on a number of AIDS Clinical Trials Group protocols including a longitudinal study of metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurologic complications in HIV-infected patients who have had significant increases in CD4 counts in response to potent antiretroviral therapy.
Dr. Michael F. Para, MD
Dr. Para joined the faculty in 1981. He is Associate Dean for Clinical Research in the College of Medicine and Public Health. He has served as Chief of Staff of OSU Hospital and President of the College of Medicine’s Faculty Council. He has been a recipient of research awards from the American Lung Association, and NIH for work with herpes simplex, Legionella and HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Para was named Professor of the Year by the graduating medical school class of 1989 and has been awarded the Ohio Department of Health Directors AIDS Service Award in 1988, its AIDS Leadership Award in 1999 and the Healthcare Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, 2001. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America. He currently serves on the Ohio Department of Health’s AIDS Drugs Assistance Program and Hemophilia Advisory Committee. He directs the AIDS Education and Training subunit at Ohio State and is co-principal investigator of the ACTG.
Special Interests
Dr. Para's clinical interest is in HIV and viral infections in compromised hosts. His research interest is in HIV therapeutics and vaccines, HIV management issues and HIV drug resistance. His recent work focuses on clinical trials of HIV therapeutics and vaccines.
Dr. Para was named Professor of the Year by the graduating medical school class of 1989 and has been awarded the Ohio Department of Health Directors AIDS Service Award in 1988, its AIDS Leadership Award in 1999 and the Healthcare Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, 2001. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America. He currently serves on the Ohio Department of Health’s AIDS Drugs Assistance Program and Hemophilia Advisory Committee. He directs the AIDS Education and Training subunit at Ohio State and is co-principal investigator of the ACTG.
Special Interests
Dr. Para's clinical interest is in HIV and viral infections in compromised hosts. His research interest is in HIV therapeutics and vaccines, HIV management issues and HIV drug resistance. His recent work focuses on clinical trials of HIV therapeutics and vaccines.
Todd Lusch, BA
Study Coordinator
Todd is the Site Director/Study Coordinator with the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit and has been with the Division of Infectious Diseases since 2003. Todd oversees the unit’s day-to-day operations and maintains study regulatory compliance. Prior to working at the Medical Center, Todd worked in the area of long term care as a nursing home administrator and marketing director. He graduated from Ohio State with a degree in healthcare administration.
Kathy Watson, RN
Nurse Manager
Kathy graduated from OSU 30 years ago and has been working at the Infectious Disease Clinic for 20 years. She is the Research Nurse Manager at the ACTU.
Jan Clark, PharmD
Research Pharmacist
Jan Clark, Pharm.D., is a specialty practice pharmacist who joined our staff in 1992. Jan provides the medications for our HIV drug studies. She is available to counsel both clinic and research patients regarding medication regimens, side effects, access to medications, and adherence issues. Jan also works with the clinical staff regarding drug interactions and dosing guidelines for patients with compromised kidney or liver functions.
Shirley Ventresca
Data Manager
Shirley is the Data Manager for the ACTU. Originally from Buffalo, NY, she moved to Columbus in 2000 and has been with OSU Infectious Diseases ever since. She is married and has a son and daughter.
Ben Smith
Manager, Medical Records
Benjamin Smith is the Chart Room Manager for the ACTU. Ben joined the OSU Infectious Diseases Department in June 2011 and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Ben graduated from Wright State Univ. with a B.S. in Elementary Education. However, he has decided to begin a new path in life and will enroll in a nursing program in May 2013. Ben is married to Jamie and he and his wife own a hair salon in Clintonville. Ben enjoys competitive bodybuilding and is an avid dog lover.
Jane Russell, RN, BSN, ACRN
Site Director, AETC
Jane has worked in Infectious Diseases for approximately 20 years, first as a research nurse and then with the AIDS Education and Training Center. Her free time activities include travel, reading and spending time with friends and family.
David Andrist
Program Manager for the AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC)
David began working at the ACTG as the Outreach Coordinator March 26th, 2012. David has been working in HIV Prevention since 1994. He developed and facilitated HIV Prevention Education Programming for the gay community in Central Ohio from 1994-1998. In 1998 he became the AIDS Coordinator for HIV Prevention Funding Initiatives with Columbus Public Health. From 2000- 2006 he was the Director of Prevention and Education for the Columbus AIDS Task Force where he supervised 11 HIV Prevention Specialists working with many diverse community populations reaching over 100,000 people each year in combined program activities. He presented at the National HIV Prevention Conference held in San Francisco, March 1996, and at the AIDS Behavioral Prevention Research and Service Symposium, San Francisco, 1998, sponsored by The National Institute of Mental Health.
Isaac Navar
Data Manager and Office Production Assistant, ACTU and AETC
Isaac began working at the OSU ACTU in 2000 as an undergraduate student. Upon graduation, he remained with the division and now serves a dual role with the ACTU and AETC. Isaac is part of the data management department in the ACTG and helps the AETC as an office production assistant.
Heather Harber, RN
Heather has been a nurse for 24 years. She has been a research nurse for the ACTU since 2007. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 daughters.
Mark Hite, RN
Mark has been a nurse since 1998. After working in the Transplant Unit at OSU Medical Center, he joined the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit as a Research Nurse in 2001. Mark works with people who have volunteered to participate in studies to help find the best treatments for HIV.