Crash course in understanding HIV

These events will be of particular interest to those who may not have an advanced background in science, but are keen to discover more about the exciting research happening at the Crick.

The second lecture in the series will be with Kate Bishop, Principle Group Leader for the kate-bishop">span> at the Crick.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It has infected nearly 80 million people and claimed approximately 40 million lives. There is still no vaccine for HIV and no cure. Kate’s lab investigate how HIV infects cells and interacts with host cell factors to ensure its own replication. Understanding how the virus uses cellular machinery and avoids the body’s anti-viral defences is key to eradicating the infection.

Kate will talk about the discovery and origin of HIV, and the remarkable success story of the progress in HIV treatment. She will outline the basic biology of the virus and explain why this hinders our ability to generate a vaccine or a general cure, but why this means that HIV can help us treat other diseases.