Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Virginia a Project Grant of $282,625 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to conduct investigator-initiated biomedical research examining the role of the Rev-Rev Response Element (RRE) regulatory axis in HIV transmission. The award, effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028, supports research aimed at understanding how variations in Rev-RRE activity contribute to HIV sexual transmission across different transmission contexts and HIV subtypes. The research will analyze longitudinal samples from individuals who acquired HIV through various transmission routes, assess changes in Rev-RRE activity during acute and chronic infection, and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms that enable specific viral variants to overcome host tissue barriers and immune responses during transmission.

This research is expected to generate scientific knowledge and methodological advances that advance understanding of HIV transmission mechanisms and contribute to the development of novel interventions to reduce new infections. The work will be performed at the University of Virginia's Charlottesville, Virginia location and builds upon preliminary findings from female-to-male transmission studies suggesting selection bias in Rev-RRE function during the transmission bottleneck in subtype C HIV.