Virology and Drug Discovery

Under the co-direction of Drs. Angela Caliendo and Raymond F. Schinazi, the purpose of the Virology/Drug Discovery (VDD) Core is to provide enabling, laboratory-based approaches to promote interdisciplinary and translational research at Emory. Our mission, in response to Emory investigator needs, is to provide safe Biosafety level 2/3 laboratories, contemporary molecular virologic methods, and state-of-the-art drug assays to enable research on HIV prevention, treatment, and pathogenesis. The core will contribute to the Emory CFAR action plan through the following specific aims: 1. To provide economy of scale through provision of shared resources 2. To facilitate academic and industrial collaborative development of HIV vaccines, and HIV prevention, therapeutic and diagnostic strategies through provision of virologic/drug discovery expertise and services 3. To promote virology &Drug Discovery education and training opportunities for CFAR investigators and local, national and international AIDS investigators 4. To foster interdisciplinary collaboration among and between basic, clinical, and behavioral HIV/AIDS investigators locally, nationally and internationally The availability of VDD Core facilities, contemporary quantitative methods, and support staff has enhanced the ability of Emory investigators to perform pre-clinical and clinical AIDS vaccine development and studies of HIV pathogenesis and treatment. Core capabilities will enable precise quantification of HIV, SIV, or candidate live-attenuated AIDS vaccine viruses and pharmacologic assessments of HIV therapeutics. The Core will advance studies of the treatment and prevention of HIV, and new emerging concepts in HIV infection.