The Basic and Translational Sciences Section is lead by CFAR Director and AIDS Institute Associate Director Jerome Zack, PhD. The program encompasses specific groups focused on Aging in HIV Disease addressing the impact of HIV on age-related changes to the immune system (lead by Dr Rita Effros, PhD and Dr Paul Krogstad, MD), Viral co-Infection and Malignancy addressing the impact of gammaherpesviruses (EBV, KSHV) on HIV/AIDS pathogenesis as well as the issue of AIDS-associated malignancies (lead by Dr Ren Sun, PhD and Dr Martinez-Maza, PhD), and the Stem Cell Strategic Initiative, which promotes the development and application of stem cell therapy to control HIV infection (co-lead by Associate Directors Jerome Zack and Ronald Mitsuyasu). The basic and translational science program also supports broad areas of HIV/AIDS research at UCLA through seminars, meetings and conferences.
