Professor Clare Jolly
Professor of Virus Cell Biology
About
Research in the Jolly lab aims to understand the cell biology of HIV-1 infection and spread between T cells.
Research summary
Work in my lab aims to determine precisely how HIV hijacks the normal cellular machinery of T cells to drive efficient viral replication and spread, and the biological consequences thereof. Dissecting the molecular details of how these processes work will provide greater insight into HIV-1 pathogenesis and inform future antiviral strategies. Our work is underpinned by expertise in molecular virology, cell biology and advanced imaging.
Our current research focuses on four main areas:
- Characterising virus-host interactions that support successful HIV replication in T cells
- Dissecting the molecular determinants and regulators of cell-cell spread at virological synapses
- Investigating how viral proteins are trafficked in infected cells and how virus assembly is coordinated
- Evaluating antiviral therapeutics and inhibitors.