Research in the Joseph Cofrancesco Jr. Lab focuses primarily on health care for HIV-positive patients. Our recent studies have explored topics such as HIV antiretroviral treatments, HIV resistance and the long-term complications of HIV treatment. In addition, we are part of the U.S. Fat Redistribution and Metabolism (FRAM) study and have had a long-standing involvement in projects that examine metabolic and fat complications in Thailand.

Research in the Janet Siliciano lab focuses on HIV. Areas of study include CD4-positive T lymphocytes, virus latency and highly active antiretrovirals. We recently explored the challenges of detecting HIV persistence during potentially curative interventions and the multifactorial nature of HIV-1 latency.

Research in the Craig W. Hendrix Lab concentrates on the chemoprevention of HIV infection, clinical pharmacology of antiviral drugs, drug interactions, and oral, topical and injectable HIV microbicide development. Our lab conducts small, intensive sampling studies of PK and PD of drugs for HIV prevention with a focus on developing methods to better understand HIV and drug distribution in the male genital tract, female genital tract and lower gastrointestinal tract. We also support numerous HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis development studies from phase I to phase III, largely as leader of the Pharmacology Core Laboratory of both the Microbicide Trial Network and HIV Prevention Trials Network.

The Todd Brown Lab focuses on metabolic, endocrine and skeletal abnormalities in HIV-infected patients, particularly as these factors relate to aging. Our studies take an epidemiologic approach to understanding the occurrence and prevalence of insulin resistance, diabetes, and anthropometric changes in HIV patients and their relationship to antiretroviral treatment.

Research interests in the Richard Moore Lab include clinical epidemiology, costs, cost-effectiveness and outcomes of HIV/AIDS. We recently examined whether the effect of delaying antiretroviral therapy initiation in HIV-positive adults is modified by age at entry into care.

Research in the Robert Siliciano Laboratory focuses on HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART consists of combinations of three drugs that inhibit specific steps in the virus life cycle. Though linked to reduced morbidity and mortality rates, ART is not curative. Through our research related to latently infected cells, we've shown that eradicating HIV-1 infection with ART alone is impossible due to the latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells. Our laboratory characterized the different forms of HIV-1 that persist in patients on ART. Currently, we are searching for and evaluating drugs that target the latent reservoir. We are also developing assays that can be used to monitor the elimination of this reservoir. We are also interested in the basic pharmacodynamic principles that explain how antiretroviral drugs work. We have recently discovered why certain classes of antiretroviral drugs are so effective at inhibiting viral replication. We are using this discovery along with experimental and computational approaches to develop improved therapies for HIV-1 infection and to understand and prevent drug resistance. Finally, we are studying the immunology of HIV-1 infection, and in particular, the ability of some patients to control the infection without ART.