Overview
I have been involved in HIV-1 clinical research alongside large epidemiological cohort studies for over 20 years. My current projects involve the molecular characterization of the HIV Infection event and the subsequent profiling of CD8-mediated killing. Specifically I am developing and optimizing ultra-sensitive HIV-1 total nucleic acid and integrated DNA qPCR assays and integration-site profiling protocols.
One of the specific studies I am currently working on relates to transmitted founder infectious molecular clones with defined replicative capacity, that have been shown to define early HIV-1 pathogenesis. Using a qualitative viral inhibition assay (VIA), a negative correlation has been deciphered between viral replicative capacity and CD8 T cell mediated viral inhibition. I hypothesize that high replicative capacity is associated with higher HIV RNA kinetics and a transcriptomic profile that would indicate greater viral success in hijacking host replicative cellular functions and suppression of host immune recognition. I am also investigating the differences in integration site profiles between clones with different replicative capacities and between donors with differential responses in the VIA.
My future aims involve translating the use of these tools to field and clinical settings, particularly, field-testing an ambient-temperature HIV-1 DNA quantification kit as an alternative low-cost treatment monitoring tool for resource-constrained settings.