Ph.D., University of Louvain, Belgium

Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Nanotechnology and Material Science

We employ the methods of organic chemistry to study the interaction of small molecules with biopolymers to elucidate the structures of the latter in order to facilitate drug design and synthesis. Current biopolymers of interest are photoreceptors and enzymes involved in the lifecycle of the HIV-1 virus. Recently, we discovered novel pharmacophores and synthesized antifungal drugs based on their structures. These antifungal drugs were found efficient against opportunistic infections (OIs) associated with immunocompromised states. - See more at: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/Page-Elements/Academics-Research-Centers-Initiatives/Doctoral-Programs/Chemistry/Faculty-Bios/Valeria-Balogh-Nair#sthash.p4ZC9eAJ.dpuf

Synthesis, Activity and Toxicity of Novel Macrocyclic Ligands Against HIV-1 in Jurkat and CEM-SS Cell Lines, V. Balogh-Nair, C.E. Brathwaite, C.-X. Chen and J. Vargas Jr., Cellular & Mol. Biol., 41, S9-S14, 1995.

Suppression of Fungal Infections by Novel Pharmacophores, In Advances in Bioorganic Chemistry, V. Balogh-Nair, J.K. Snyder and R. Cooper Eds., Marcel Dekker, 1996.

Active site probes for G proteins: two-step synthesis of 2-[15N]guanosine 5'-diphosphate by a combination of a chemical and an enzymatic step, C.X. Chen, Z. Chen and V. Balogh-Nair, J. Org. Chem., 1996. Etienne M, Biney A, Walser AD, Dorsinville R, Bauer DLV, Balogh-Nair V Third-order nonlinear optical properties of a cadmiun sulfide-dendrimer nanocomposite, APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 87 (18): Art. No. 181913 Oct. 31 2005.