About

For the past 30 years, I have focused on the transmission of STDs including HIV, and strategies for STD and HIV prevention. My laboratory has focused on studies related to the transmission, and prevention of transmission of HIV infection. We have studied HIV in genital secretions and identified inflammatory conditions-especially sexually transmitted diseases-that increase excretion of HIV in semen. My multidisciplinary research group has worked over many years to characterize the ability of different classes of antiretroviral agents to block HIV replication in the male genital tract, as represented by copies of HIV RNA detected in seminal plasma. We have also worked to characterize the relationship(s) between HIV in semen and blood, through detailed molecular phylogenetic analysis. Based on these results I was able to design and lead a multinational NIH clinical trial, HPN 052 that demonstrated that successful antiretroviral treatment of HIV can prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. Currently, I am co-PI of the HIV Prevention Trials Network. Most recently, I have played an active role in the development of the COVID-19 prevention activities. I serve on the NIH ACTIV Committee, a public-private partnership to organize COVID-19 research, and as a member of the Executive Committee of newly formed NIAID COVID Prevention Network (CoVPN). In this capacity, I lead research on the use of monoclonal antibodies for the prevention and early treatment of COVID-19.