Dr. Vanessa Rivera Amill focusing on the relationships between viral evolution and disease progression as well as compartmentalization or other phylogenetic analysis in SIV evolution (specifically the env gene) in the rhesus macaque model of drug addiction and AIDS. She was primarily responsible for evolutionary studies linking the evolution SIV envelope gene to rapid progression to AIDS in the monkey model. Throughout these studies, she expanded her scientific background to accommodate the demands of interpreting the relationship between sequence and disease for a large, complex gene product like the SIV envelope. Furthermore, she has experience with comparison of virus in different compartments to understand how compartmentalization and loss of compartmentalization may be related to pathogenesis. This project is expected to generate preliminary data that will provide the foundation to uncover gp120 sequences associated with progression to HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND).

HIV/AIDS and drugs of abuse - HIV immunology - The molecular mechanisms of HIV pathogenesis