HIV and AIDS
Robbiani Laboratory

Researchers in Melissa Robbiani's laboratory at the Center for Biomedical Research in New York City perform studies to understand the mechanism of sexual transmission of HIV—with particular focus on the role of dendritic cells—and examine ways to prevent HIV spread. Studies involve extensive in vitro analyses and in vivo translational studies. Delineating exactly how dendritic cells drive HIV infection across the body surfaces is critical to advancing preventive strategies, including:

• antiviral microbicides to directly prevent infections and
• immunostimulatory approaches to boost innate and adaptive immunity elicited by natural infection or vaccines.

The impact of other common pathogens (e.g., herpes simplex virus and Candida albicans) on these events also is being researched.

Projects

• Activating Dendritic Cells to Improve Anti-HIV Vaccines
• Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy on Mucosal Immunity
• Microbicides to Prevent Sexual Transmission of  HIV
• Mucosal Innate and Adaptive Immunity and HIV
• Transmission of Immunodeficiency Viruses

Laboratory Members

• Melissa Robbiani (senior scientist/director of biomedical HIV research)
• Loreley Villamide-Herrera (project manager and biomedical coordinator)
• Ines Frank (research investigator)
• Jessica Kenney (laboratory coordinator)
• Meropi Aravantinou, Vennansha Williams (research technicians)
• Rachel Singer (junior research technician)
• Onome Akpogheneta, Federica Crostarosa, Nina Derby, Edith Jasny, Panagiotis Vagenas (postdoctoral fellows)

External Collaborators

• James Blanchard (Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana)
• Anthony Cunningham (Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, Australia)
• Agegnehu Gettie (Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, New York, New York)
• Jeffrey Lifson (SAIC/National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland)
• Katherine Luzuriaga (University of Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts)
• John Moore (Weill Medical School, Cornell University, New York, New York)
• Nikolaus Romani (University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria)
• Robin Shattock (St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London)
• Alexandra Trkola (University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland)
• Andres Salazar (Oncovir, Inc., Washington, DC)
• Gary Van Nest (Dynavax, Berkley, California)

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This page updated 22 April 2008

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