My scientific research interests have largely revolved around virus-host interactions. My pre-doctoral research training involved molecular characterization of a DNA virus causing the most devastating viral disease in bananas. In my doctoral research work at Purdue University, I identified and characterized novel virus-host protein interactions that modulate the replication of an RNA virus reported to infect over 600 plant species. During my NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, I researched novel components of the host cellular machinery involved in late stages of HIV-1 replication. In my current position as a postdoctoral research associate at Meharry Medical College, my research interests include key early events leading to HIV-1 integration into host chromosome, role of microRNAs in regulating cellular cofactors of HIV-1, and the impact of drugs of abuse on HIV-1 replication and pathogenesis.

Dong,XH., Ho, MH., Liu B., Hildreth, J., Dash, D., Goodwin, S., Balasubramaniam, M., Chen, CH., Xie, H. 2018. Role of Porphyromonasgingivalis outer membrane vesicles in oral mucosal transmission of HIV. Scientific Reports. 8: 8812.

Balasubramaniam, M., Orom-Davids, B., Addai, A., Pandhare,J., Dash, C. 2017. Measurement of in vitro integration activity of HIV-1 preintegration complexes. Journal of Visualized Experiments (120), e54581.

Dash S., Balasubramaniam, M., Rana, T.,Godino, A., Peck, E. E., Goodwin, J. S., Calipari, E. S., Villalta, F., Nestler, E. J., Dash, C., Pandhare J. 2017. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) induction by cocaine is post-transcriptionally regulated by miR-125b. eNeuro 7 August 2017, ENEURO.0089-17.2017.

Swepson C., Ranjan A., Balasubramaniam, M., Pandhare J., Dash C. 2016. Cocaine enhances HIV-1 transcription in macrophages by inducing p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Frontiers in Microbiology 7:823.

Dash S., Balasubramaniam, M., Vilalta F., Dash C., Pandhare J. 2016. Impact of cocaine abuse on HIV-1 pathogenesis. Frontiers in Microbiology 6:1111.

Balasubramaniam, M., Kim, BS., Hutchens-Williams HM., Loesch-Fries, S. 2014. The photosystem II oxygen evolving complex protein, PsbP, interacts with the coat protein of Alfalfa mosaic virus and inhibits its replication. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 27(10):1107-18.

Balasubramaniam, M., Freed, E. O. 2011. New insights into HIV assembly and trafficking. Physiology 26:236-251.

Balasubramaniam, M., Ibrahim, A., Kim, BS., Loesch-Fries,S. 2006. Arabidopsis thaliana is an asymptomatic host of Alfalfa mosaic virus. Virus Research 121:215-219.