Graduate Student Researcher
CurrentMy ongoing predoctoral research in Dr. Kuroda’s lab is focused on the mechanisms of SIV viral persistence in long-lived macrophages in the lungs of SIVmac251-infected rhesus macaques. This model also lends itself to studies on accelerated aging. Macrophage biology is central to both of these areas of research. I believe the results from my research will likely be highly relevant to human health as they will provide new details into the complex dynamic between SIV/HIV, aging, and macrophages, which will allow for further extrapolations into the development of inflammatory disease and progression. I am currently developing a novel protocol for the isolation and purification of alveolar and interstitial macrophages in the lungs for large transcription complexes, which I hope to submit as a first author publication in the next few months.