Rodriguez Laboratory

Research Laboratories

List of All Research Labs

2 post-doctoral fellows, 2 graduate students

My laboratory is interested in the application of microfluidic and MEMS technologies to infectious disease diagnostics. Our particular focus is on the development of diagnostics that address critical needs in global health for use in resource-limited settings. Working closely with global health organizations to identify priority needs, we hope to provide the basic research to develop and validate laboratory prototypes for a number of diagnostic devices for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, which can then be transitioned to commercial settings.

1. Developing microscale methods for CD4 cell counting from fingerstick volumes of blood.
2. Developing simple, non-optical methods of cell counting for low-cost diagnostic

Using MEMS technologies for individual viral particle detection.
Developing point-of-care devices able to detect HIV in plasma at concentrations >10,000 copies per mL.
Developing point-of-care microfluidic systems capable of assessing comprehensive cellular immune responses to infectious organisms
Developing a simplified assay for diagnosing latent and active tuberculosis.

Rodriguez WR, Christodoulides N, Floriano PN, Graham S, Mohanty S, Dixon M, Hsiang M, Peter T, Zavahir S, Thior I, Romanovicz D, Bernard B, Goodey A, Walker BD, McDevitt JT. A microchip CD4 counting method for HIV monitoring in resource-poor settings. PLoS Medicine 2005; 2(7): e182.

Calmy A, Ford N, Hirschel B, Reynolds SJ, Lynen L, Goemaere E, Garcia de la Vega F, Perrin L, Rodriguez WR. HIV Viral Load Monitoring in Resource-Limited Settings: Optional or Necessary? Clin Infect Dis 2007; 44:128-34.

Cheng X, Irimia D, Dixon M, Sekine K, Demirci U, Zamir L, Tompkins RG, Rodriguez W, Toner M. A microfluidic device for practical label-free CD4+ T cell counting of HIV-infected subjects. Lab-on-a-Chip 2007, 7:170-78.

Cheng X, Irimia D, Dixon M, Ziperstein J, Demirci U, Zamir L, Tompkins RG, Toner M, Rodriguez W. A microchip approach for practical label-free CD4+ T cell counting of HIV-infected subjects in resource-poor settings. JAIDS 2007, Mar 29; [Epub ahead of print].

Additional Information

For additional information contact:
Bill Rodriguez, M.D.
Assistant Professor in Medicine
Partners AIDS Research Center
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Bldg. 149, 13th Street, Rm 5219
Charlestown, MA 02129
Phone 617 726-8099
Fax 617 726-4691
wrodriguez@partners.org