Our Team

Binhua (Julie) Ling, M. Med. Sc., M.D., Ph.D.

Professor, Principal Investigator
Lead, Host-Pathogen Interactions Program
Core Scientist, Southwest National Primate Research Center
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
Adjunct Professor, Department of MIMG, UTHSCSA
Adjoint Professor, Department of MMI, UTSA

Dr. Ling’s current research is supported by NIH. She has a broad background in molecular virology, immunology, and many years of work experience and expertise in nonhuman primate models in key areas of HIV/SIV pathogenesis and cure studies.

Nongthombam, Boby, DVM, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Scientist
Host-Pathogen Interactions

My research interest is to understand the SIV/HIV reservoir and the development of a promising therapeutic strategy to eliminate the virus reservoir from infected individuals.

I have a broad background in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Immunology.

My current research emphasizes the CD8+ T cells immunology in SIV/HIV infection and their application in HIV cure.

Grey De La Torre, M.Sc.

Research Associate
Host-Pathogen Interactions

I was raised in a family of medical professionals and STEM majors, whom from an early age introduced me to the challenging but rewarding world of science. Science and medicine are a great part of who I am today.

I completed my Master's degree from the University of Texas in San Antonio (UTSA) and joined Dr. Ling's lab. Being part of Texas Biomed has given me the opportunity to apply my knowledge of neuroscience to HIV pathology through the lab’s studies on the CNS. I am now able to contribute to HIV/AIDS research through my experience in neurobiology as it relates to HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HANDs) with the goal to help in treatment and prevention of these conditions, as well as to understand the mechanisms behind these comorbidities.

Whitney Ortiz, M.S.

Graduate Student
UTSA Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

I am currently a doctoral student in the UTSA Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program. I moved to San Antonio after graduating from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Master’s Degree in Aquatic Resources.

I have experience working with culture-dependent and -independent methods of analyzing tissue microbiomes, microbiome analysis, and bioinformatics. In particular, I have done a lot of work with and collaborating on projects using Illumina 16S rRNA Sequencing and analyzed using R Studio. As I transition into a new project, I am excited to begin my journey studying SIV/HIV and expand my skillset in the Ling Lab.

I am excited by the opportunities I have and hope to support other women in STEM and minority students as they pursue their education. I hope that my work will allow me to contribute to the global effort to combat HIV and protect at-risk communities.

Former Lab Members

Antonio Solis-Leal, Ph. D.

Postdoctoral Scientist
Host-Pathogen Interactions

Dr. Solis-Leal completed a Bachelor's in Biology at the University of Seville, Spain and a Ph.D. in the Microbiology and Molecular Biology program at the University of Brigham Young, in Provo, Utah.

His research at Texas Biomed focused on the HIV/SIV reservoirs in the CNS and the body.

"I had the great opportunity to work in such an interesting field with such a great team at Texas Biomed, a great institution with a special focus on infectious diseases and virology research, to help HIV-infected people around the globe to have a better quality of life."