Don Sodora, PhD

Studies in Dr. Sodora’s laboratory evaluate the interplay between viral infections and the host innate immune response. Our work is particularly interested in understanding this interplay during HIV infection. One aspect of our studies is to investigate the earliest immune and viral events following HIV infection with the overarching goal of providing key insights for the design of an effective HIV vaccine. A second aspect of our studies is to evaluate inflammatory and dysregulatory processes associated with HIV disease progression with the goal of identifying therapeutic approaches to lessen HIV disease progression and prevent or reverse HIV associated co-morbidities. These studies are pertinent to adults as well as infants, in whom HIV disease progresses more rapidly, and for whom the studies are particularly important. We use state-of-the-art technologies, including digital spatial profiling and confocal microscopy, to identify areas of inflammation in HIV infected tissues; and we apply transcriptomic assessments to evaluate the underlying mechanisms driving cellular activation. Studies in the Sodora laboratory involve both animal models and human cohort studies.