Ragon Institute

Lab Overview

The Ndhlovu lab uses lymph node and large blood donations from a cohort of individuals who initiate therapy immediately upon diagnosis of acute HIV infection to identify where the HIV reservoir resides within tissues and define immune components that mediate HIV reservoir suppression. This work is critical to efforts to develop a cure for HIV.

Using serial excisional lymph node and leukapheresis samples obtained from individuals initiating ART during hyperacute HIV infection, the Ndhlovu lab defines the interplay between early virological and cellular immune responses and the impact of these interactions on viral control, reservoir establishment, cellular distribution, and decay dynamics. By determining the impact that very early ART has on these parameters, we seek to provide guidance for future vaccine and immunotherapeutic strategies not just for early treated individuals but for persons requiring long-term ART.