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Infectious Diseases

A Q&A with the director of the Penn Center for AIDS Research
Four people in front of National AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Penn researchers affiliated with the Penn Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) attended AIDS Walk Philly in October 2024. Pictured with the National AIDS Memorial Quilt are Deratu Ahmed, a first-year epidemiology doctoral student studying pharmacogenetics related to HIV and tuberculosis in Botswana; Dominique Medaglio, a fourth-year epidemiology doctoral student studying ways to encourage smoking cessation for people with HIV in the United States; CFAR co-director Robert Gross, professor of medicine and epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Penn Medicine; and CFAR director Ronald Collman, professor of medicine and microbiology.

(Image: Courtesy of Ronald G. Collman)

A Q&A with the director of the Penn Center for AIDS Research

Ronald G. Collman talks about the current state of AIDS care, work with the City of Philadelphia, and how the Center is supporting collaborations across campus.
Research on key host pathways has implications for Ebola and beyond
Ebola virus in cell.

When the Hippo pathway is “off,” the downstream protein YAP (red) is localized to the nucleus. VP40 (cyan), a viral matrix protein found in the Ebola virus, simultaneously drives vigorous formation and egress of virus-like particles along the cell periphery. In addition, Ebola virus nucleoprotein directs the formation of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (yellow), also known as viral factories, in which viral RNA synthesis (transcription and replication) occurs.

(Image: Courtesy of Ronald Harty)

Research on key host pathways has implications for Ebola and beyond

A collaborative team of researchers led by Penn Vet’s Ronald N. Harty and Jingjing Liang show how the Hippo signaling pathway intersects with the virus at multiple stages of the viral life cycle.
When is the best time to catch up on vaccines?
A medical professional applies a bandage to a person’s shoulder after receiving a vaccine.

Image: iStock/PeopleImages

When is the best time to catch up on vaccines?

Determining the right time to get a COVID vaccine depends on medical history, age, the timing of previous COVID vaccine doses, and when a previous case of COVID occurred.

Alex Gardner

Novel mRNA vaccine prevents and treat C. difficile
Microscopic view of C. difficile.

Image: iStock/Dr_Microbe

Novel mRNA vaccine prevents and treat C. difficile

Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have developed the first mRNA vaccine against C. difficile to successfully ward off the bacterial infection.

Alex Gardner