Infection, Inflammation and Innate Immunity

By understanding the causes of chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction in inflammatory conditions such as HIV and healthy ageing, we aim to predict and improve health outcomes through the development of prognostic tools and adjunct therapies. We also investigate ways to eliminate HIV to help achieve a HIV cure.

HIV infection is a chronic viral infection managed using combination antiretroviral therapy. Currently, it can’t be cured. Long-term management of people receiving antiretroviral therapy is an ongoing concern and health burden, especially their risk of non-AIDS co-morbidities.

We focus on understanding the immune defects that persist in people with HIV. We explore how these may intersect with age-related changes to drive increased risk of age-related co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease.

By understanding these changes, we aim to predict and improve health outcomes through the development of prognostic tools and adjunctive therapies.

We also study how HIV persists in immune cells such as macrophages despite anti-HIV therapy, identifying ways to specifically target these cells. Our research aims to develop an immunotherapy-based approach to HIV cure, targeting and eliminating HIV+ cells using natural killer cells and engineered antibodies.