Studies of HIV Transmission and Immunity Motivated by Clinical Collaborations in Kenya
Julie Overbaugh, Ph.D.
Professor of Human Biology and Public Health Sciences and Endowed Chair for Graduate Education, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Julie M. Overbaugh, Ph.D., is a Professor of Human Biology and Public Health Sciences and Endowed Chair for Graduate Education at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. A leading virologist, her research has advanced understanding of HIV transmission, viral evolution, and immune responses to infection. Through longstanding collaborations in Kenya, Dr. Overbaugh has investigated mother-to-infant transmission, HIV acquisition among sex workers, and the factors that shape transmission of viral variants. Her work has identified immune responses associated with protection, illuminated how HIV evolves within and between individuals, and provided important insights for HIV prevention and vaccine development through basic, translational, and international collaborative research.
Summary
This lecture will describe studies of HIV in mothers and their infants that began as part of a clinical trial to define the risk of breastfeeding transmission in Kenya more than three decades ago. The focus will be on studies of immune responses to HIV in this population, including how the studies benefited from collaborations with the trial investigators. The talk will also include new studies of innate immunity to HIV and identification of new antiviral host genes that were inspired by these translational studies. The goal of this seminar is to not only to share scientific highlights, including recent work, but also to illustrate how long-term, bilateral collaborations across disciplines can inspire a focus on basic science studies relevant to human infection.
Learning Objectives:
- To understand the role of antibodies in HIV transmission to infants.
- Appreciate the unique aspects of the infant antibody response to HIV.
- To learn about new host genes that target HIV and may impact transmission
This page was last updated on Wednesday, September 2, 2026