The principal focus of my laboratory is the investigation of functional properties of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells that are correlated with antiviral activity and immune protection against HIV-1. We approach this aim from multiple different perspectives:

1. Assessment of individual effector functions of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells during various stages of HIV-1 disease progression, specifically with regards to their proliferative capacity and their cytotoxic activities;

2. Analysis of TCR recruitment patterns of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells and post-TCR signaling events;

3. Investigation of the functional exhaustion of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells in chronic progressive HIV-1 infection, and identification of molecular pathways that can reconstitute exhausted T cell functionality;

4. Investigation of interactions between HIV-1 CTL peptide/MHC class I complexes with myelomonocytic MHC class I receptors, as well as the consequences of these interactions for dendritic and T cell functionality;

5. In situ identification of functional properties of HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cell in different tissue compartments.

All these investigations are performed with the ultimate objective to provide novel ideas, hypothesis, concepts and data for HIV-1 vaccine and immunogen design.