Viruses and Vaccines

Paul Bieniasz, Ph.D.
Professor
Laboratory of Retrovirology
The Rockefeller University
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Viruses have long been a scourge of humanity, causing some of the most devastating pandemics. Remarkably, viruses are present in our DNA and, as such, are also part of who we are. Viruses can be engineered to execute useful tasks such a gene delivery, and can also be used to build vaccines. As a virologist, Paul Bieniasz, Ph.D., has spent much of his career working on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. He is especially interested in understanding how viruses replicate within the cells of their hosts, and how those cells respond to attack. Recently, Dr. Bieniasz and his partner, Dr. Theodora Hatziioannou, have collaborated with investigators at Rockefeller, the New York Blood Center, and other institutions to help develop effective antibody therapies for COVID-19 patients.