Work in the Philip Smith Lab explores several key topics within the field of sleep medicine. We investigate the role of obesity and neural control in sleep-disordered breathing as well as the impact of metabolic function on sleep apnea. We also research the ways in which HIV and its treatments impact a patient’s sleep. Our studies have included the effects of HIV and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on both sleep and daytime function as well as the relationship between systemic inflammation and sleep apnea in men with HIV.

Research in the Anne Rompalo Lab focuses on STD research and application. We recently examined the relationship between violence against women and HIV-related risk factors in women living in the United States. Past projects include a nine-year longitudinal observation study of HIV-infected women in Baltimore.

Research in the Andrea Cox Lab explores the immune response in chronic viral infections, with a focus on HIV and the hepatitis C virus (HCV). In our studies, we examine the role of the immune response upon exposure to HCV by examining responses to HCV in a longitudinal, prospective group of high-risk individuals. This enables us to compare the innate, humoral and cellular immune responses to infection with clearance versus persistence. Through our findings, we seek to identify mechanisms of protective immunity against HCV infection and improve HCV vaccine design.

The Anna Durbin Lab evaluates experimental vaccines through human clinical trials. We have conducted both pediatric and adult clinical trials on vaccines for HIV, hepatitis C, HPV, influenza, malaria, dengue virus, rotavirus and other viruses. We also have a longstanding interest in better understanding the immunologic factors of dengue infection and disease. We’re working to identify the viral, host and immunologic factors that cause severe dengue illness.

The Balagopal Lab has adapted high-resolution tools to study viruses in situ. Specifically, we were the first to quantify hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in single hepatocytes by developing single-cell laser capture microdissection (scLCM) and integrating this tool with highly sensitive quantitative real-time PCR. We reported that HCV infects a minority of hepatocytes that are found in geospatial clusters. More recently, we (PIs Balagopal and Thio) integrated scLCM with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to reveal the first observations of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection at single cell resolution in the liver. We found that HBV infects nearly all hepatocytes prior to antiviral therapy. However, during antiviral therapy, HBV infection is diminished while viral transcription is markedly attenuated. Our lab has also focused on HIV-1 infection and immune activation for over a decade. Most recently, we have studied type 1 interferon responses to HIV-1 using RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Using this technology, we identified novel interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that are associated with HIV-1 restriction in vivo.

The David Graham Lab studies the consequences of HIV interactions with the immune system, the resulting pathogenesis and how to sabotage these interactions. We apply advanced technologies like mass spectrometry to dissect processes at the molecular level. We are also actively involved in cardiovascular research and studies the ways proteins are organized into functional units in different cell types of the heart. Major projects in our lab are organized into three major areas: (1) H/SIV pathogenesis and neuropathogenesis, (2) Cardiovascular disease, and (3) High technology development

The Kathryn Carson Lab investigates ways to improve medical research, particularly in the areas of brain and thyroid cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, HIV and lupus. Our team seeks to help researchers optimize their studies through better study design, protocol and grant writing, data cleaning and analysis, and publication writing. We work with investigators from a wide range of departments through the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.

Research in the Jeremy Sugarman Lab focuses on biomedical ethics—particularly, the application of empirical methods and evidence-based standards to the evaluation and analysis of bioethical issues. Our contributions to medical ethics and health policy include work on the ethics of informed consent, umbilical cord blood banking, stem cell research, international HIV prevention research, global health and research oversight.

Work in the Robert H. Brown Lab explores several topics within pulmonary physiology, with a long-term goal of understanding the structural changes in the lungs that lead to the pathophysiology of lung disease. Our core studies examine the structure-function relationship of pulmonary airways and vessels as well as their role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and reactive airway disease. Recent research has involved studying the mechanisms and treatment of COPD progression, new methods for treating asthma, and lung inflation and airway hyperresponsiveness. We are also exploring the impact of HIV infection on the etiology of lung disease and the pathophysiologic consequences of lung distention.

The Johns Hopkins Brain Health Program is a multi-specialty team of experts from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Whiting School of Engineering, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health.