Research

Dr. Pahwa has multiple NIH funded projects addressing adult and pediatric immunity

Adult Immunity

1. T follicular helper cell dysfunction in HIV and Aging. Investigating the defects in antibody production with aging with and without HIV/SIV. Previous studies in the lab have shown the interaction of T follicular helper cells and B cells in antibody responses to influenza and malaria RTS,S AS01 vaccines. We are also investigating the immunomodulatory effect of the cytokine, IL-21, for its role in amplifying Tfh function and B cell function in improving Ab responses.
2. Immune Dysfunction in People living with HIV that are also Opioid Users. This new area of research will study the immunity in Opioid users with and without HIV infection and the mechanisms of opioid induced immune dysfunction.
3. COVID Immunity Study (CITY). This project is focused on understanding the magnitude and longevity of COVID immunity in natural Sars CoV2 infection and vaccination.

Pediatric HIV/AIDS

1. Immunity and HIV persistence in perinatal HIV infection. This project investigates how mother-to-child HIV transmission affects immune development, responses to childhood vaccinations and immune control of HIV reservoirs in first 2 years of life in a cohort from Maputo, Mozambique.
2. Immune correlates of latent TB infection (LTBI) in HIV-exposed infants. Investigates the immunologic effects of in-utero exposure to active or latent TB on BCG vaccine responses and maternal factors that impact immune development in first year of life.
3. Targeting HIV reservoirs in children with HIVIS DNA and MVA CMDR vaccines. To develop therapeutic HIV vaccines to reduce the HIV reservoirs in children and youth with HIV.
4. PENTA Foundation: Early treated Perinatally HIV Infected individuals: Improving Children’s Actual Life (EPIICAL Project). This international collaboration seeks to identify biomarkers of viral control in infants and children with known time to remission following ART.
5. Pediatric Adolescent Virus Elimination (PAVE): Martin Delaney Collaboratory. This new project will focus on understanding immunopathogenesis of pediatric HIV reservoirs, to pave the way for future interventional human studies toward a lifetime of sustained HIV control off ART.

Currently Dr. Pahwa has four predoctoral students who are involved in ongoing projects.