Assistant Professor
Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology
John A. Burns School of Medicine
651 Ilalo St BSB 320
Honolulu Hawaii 96813
Telephone: 808 692-1647
E-mail: pakieli@hawaii.edu
Education
University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji Is, BA. 1990 – Chemistry
University of Hawaii, M.S. 1997 – Virology & Molecular Biology
University of Hawaii, Ph.D. 2005 – Molecular Biology & Bacterial Genetics
Research Focus
Research in understanding, at the molecular level, the disease-relevant proteins of emerging RNA viruses of global concern, including West Nile, dengue, Zika, and SARS-CoV-2 viruses that, in turn, has enabled rational drug design to improve human health.
Ongoing Projects and Opportunities for Students to Participate
- Repurposing screening of clinically approved sources of antiviral drugs that are affordable and available to the Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders community.
- Protein expression platform to understand the functional role of viral proteins in pathogenesis, the development of vaccine candidates, and ways of testing for infectious agents.
- Engineered cellular exosomes as a potential shuttle to deliver virus antigens or drugs to target cells or organs.