Roles
Research Assistant Professor
Associate Director, Miami CFAR Laboratory Sciences Core
-
Biography
I am a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and serve as Associate Director of the Miami Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Laboratory Sciences Core. I earned my BSc in Biology from the University of Virginia and my PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Miami, where my doctoral research focused on the antibacterial function of the novel pore-forming protein Perforin2.
?My work investigates how infections such as perinatal HIV shape immune development, function, and long-term health outcomes. I use high-dimensional flow cytometry and single-cell genomics, with a particular emphasis on tailoring these approaches for pediatric and other limited-volume clinical samples. Within the Pediatric Adolescent Virus Elimination (PAVE) Martin Delaney Collaboratory, we are optimizing innovative assays to better understand immune function in children. Current studies examine immune effector responses in infants with HIV from Mozambique and other large pediatric cohorts, as well as BCG vaccine responses in infants born to women with HIV and latent tuberculosis infection. I am also interested in how environmental and social factors intersect with biology to influence immune health and development in children. -
Education & Training
Education
-
Research Interests
My current research is focused on pediatric immunology in the context of perinatal HIV infection or exposure and is divided into 2 main projects. The first is to identify immunologic biomarkers of HIV reservoir size in HIV+ infants. For this objective, we have a collaboration with a clinic in Mozambique Africa that has enrolled a longitudinal cohort of perinatally infected infants and HIV exposed uninfected infants. We are investigating phenotype and function of innate and adaptive immune cells using multiparameter flow cytometry (>28 colors), single cell RNA Seq in PBMC to assess transcriptional pathways and signatures, and virological measurements to assess HIV reservoir size and composition. This study will allow us to address the affect of HIV infection on the developing immune system (including response to routine childhood vaccinations) as well as evaluate anti-HIV immunity in infants in the context of early ART initiation and prolonged viral suppression.
The second project is studying the impact of latent TB infection during pregnancy in HIV-infected mothers on infant immune responses to TB and BCG vaccination. Co-infection of TB and HIV is common in areas where both pathogens are endemic such as India and Africa. Using blood samples from the IMPAACT clinical trials network, we are investigating whether infants born to mothers with latent TB infection are sensitized in utero against TB antigens and how this affects the infant’s immune response to BCG vaccination and protection from acquiring TB during infancy. To address these questions, we will analyze maternal and infant samples to characterize immune phenotype and function including cellular subset distribution, plasma biomarkers, and gene expression. -
Publications
Disclaimer: The information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, please use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.