Ronald Desrosiers, Ph.D.
Academic Role: Adjunct Professor
Faculty Appointment(s) In:
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Other Affiliation(s):
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Program in Immunology and Virology
Research Interests
 Dr. Desrosiers' research seeks a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying viral pathogenesis through the use of monkey models of human viral diseases.
The Desrosiers laboratory uses simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) as a model for HIV-induced AIDS in humans. Dr. Desrosiers is elucidating the strategies used by SIV and HIV to evade recognition by host immune responses; these immune evasion strategies are what allow the continuous, unrelenting viral replication that is the hallmark of AIDS.
Dr. Desrosiers is interested in novel vaccine approaches for AIDS, particularly those that can elicit constitutively active immune responses to a persisting antigen. Dr. Desrosiers studies structure-activity relationships of the viral-encoded envelope proteins and the relative importance and functional contribution of the so-called auxiliary genes.
Dr. Desrosiers' laboratory is also developing use of rhesus monkey rhadinovirus (RRV) as a model for infection by human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8; also known as the Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, KSHV). A genetic system is being developed to allow study of the contribution of individual genes to viral replication, tropism, persistence, and pathogenesis.
See the NERPRC  web site for more details.
E-mail: ronald_desrosiers@hms.harvard.edu
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