Inside The Lab
The focus of Dr. Sharan’s independent research is on further defining the impact of HIV in reactivating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) resulting in worsening of both diseases. The overarching goal is to identify the key correlates of SIV-mediated chronic immune activation before, during and after anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to develop therapeutic interventions for people with both infections. Dr. Sharan’s funding includes:
- NIH K01 award: IL-22 biology in chronic immune activation
- SNPRC Pilot: whole genome sequencing to identify markers of HIV driven LTBI reactivation
- Texas D-CFAR Pilot: conduct state-of-the-art transcriptomics to study persistence of skewed CD4+ T effector memory despite cART here at Texas Biomed.
- NIH R21: Single cell transcriptomics to identify LTBI reactivation markers in TB/HIV co-infection
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the bacteria that causes TB. Dr. Sharan uses the nonhuman primate model of SIV/Mtb co-infection to investigate:
- the impact of antiretroviral therapy in preventing the HIV-induced reactivation of LTBI
- the mechanisms of immune activation in HIV/TB co-infection
- identify new potential targets for host-directed therapy
The research holds immense translational potential to advance knowledge in the virus-driven LTBI reactivation in HIV/TB co-infected cohorts. Concurrent with the core aims of Texas Biomed scientific programs, her independent research focuses on basic research on viral interactions with the host, and developing animal models to study immune-based interventions.
Dr. Sharan is a Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology from Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health, Central Queensland University, Australia with over ten years of combined experience in designing and conducting immunological, molecular and vaccine research with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in USA (Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) at Pasteur Institute, France.