AIDS researcher to study development of HIV vaccine

The College of Medicine will take part in a new program launched by the NIH that focuses on vaccine development to protect against HIV.

Maureen Goodenow, Ph.D., the Stephany W. Holloway university chair for AIDS research in the department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine, will receive a $400,000 two-year developmental grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, to foster the study of immune cells that can produce antibodies with the capacity to neutralize HIV. The NIAD’s $15.6 million, five-year program will strengthen and expand the scientific foundation of HIV vaccine research through a network of 10 research teams nationwide that will share resources, methods and data to accelerate progress.

The UF project includes collaboration with Dr. John Sleasman from the University of South Florida, Goodenow said.