Areas of interest

HIV, virology, drug discovery, molecular/cell biology, natural products, medicinal plants, traditional medicines and capacity development.

Education

• BA, Molecular Biology, University of Pennsylvania
• PhD, Biochemistry, Harvard University

Biography

Dr. Tietjen is the Education Director of Global Studies & Partnerships and an Assistant Professor at the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in Philadelphia, USA. He was previously a Research Assistant Professor at Wistar in the laboratory of Dr. Luis Montaner and an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. He has also worked as a Group Leader in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Cardiome Pharma Corp. in Vancouver BC and a Senior Scientist at Xenon Pharmaceuticals in Burnaby, BC.

Dr. Tietjen’s research education initiatives include engaging and working with universities in low and middle-income countries, as well as their faculty and students, to initiate collaborative research with Wistar, train students and faculty in Wistar science and laboratory techniques, and identify strategies to transfer this knowledge to home universities for independent research. He also teaches laboratory training courses for students at Wistar and abroad.

Dr. Tietjen's research focuses on mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and drug discovery and development. He uses cell biology, genetics and high-throughput chemical screening techniques to investigate the molecular properties of HIV reservoirs as well as virus replication and spread of HIV, SARS-CoV-2, and influenza. He also conducts screens of chemical compound libraries, natural products, and traditional medicines to identify and characterize new antivirals. Dr. Tietjen also engages with local communities, medicinal plant healers, and other knowledge keepers to collaboratively and sustainably document and determine the bioactivities of traditional medicines used in Sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, and elsewhere.