BIOC20H: Principles of Virology

BIOD20H: Special Topics in Virology

BIOD95H: Supervised Literature-Based Study

BIOD98Y: Directed Research in Biology

Mechanisms of HIV-1 Control and Pathogenesis

The natural history of HIV infection is highly heterogeneous in different individuals, spanning from a stable asymptomatic condition to a rapid disease evolution. A major determinant of the pace of HIV disease progression is the in vivo level of viral replication, which is regulated by an intricate network of bioactive molecules, including both soluble immune modulators and cell-associated receptors. My research aims to precisely delineate the molecular mechanisms of HIV-1 control and pathogenesis, underlying interactions between soluble and cell-derived molecules with the HIV-1 envelope, with a goal of identifying new vulnerabilities on the virus that may lead to novel targets for therapy and prevention.

Keywords:

• HIV-1
• Viral pathogenesis
• Viral transmission
• Host-pathogen interactions
• Anti-viral activity
• Cytokines

Research Areas:

Virology, molecular biology, immunology

CURRENT RESEARCH:

Current areas of research focus include:

• Identifying new antiviral targets on the HIV-1 virion.
• Discovery of novel anti-viral proteins produced by host immune cells.
• Interplay of antiviral cytokines and chemokines in HIV-1 blockade.
• Expanding the search for virion-incorporated molecules of biological significance.
• Characterizing the topology of the HIV-1 virion surface.
• Molecular mechanisms of host cell protein incorporation into virions.

RESEARCH ANIMATION: Taking HIV to the Gut

Summary article: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/video-taking-hiv-gut

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDwE1KWgl0M