Myles H. Thaler Center for HIVand Human Retrovirus Research
The Thaler Center works to address fundamental questions about how AIDS develops and how HIV replicates at the cellular and molecular level. The Center has faculty associated with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health of the Department of Medicine. This multifaceted approach to HIV-1 and AIDS research creates a highly interactive environment where Thaler Center researchers work towards elucidating the fundamental cellular and pathogenic processes used by HIV-1 and Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpes virus. Understanding the mechanisms that these viruses use for replication provides essential information for the design of new anti-viral drugs and immune-based therapies. These same studies also generate knowledge with broad implications for cancer, neurological disease, and other realms of medicine. The Center also has collaborative projects with investigators worldwide, including several at African Universities, where research is focused on the global HIV epidemic.