Whats the primary goal of the computational biology and mathematical modeling team?
It’s three-fold. One is to have a team that can analyze the hugely complex data sets that will come out of our acute HIV infection and exposed uninfected observational studies. Secondly, to be able to model the human immune system with regard to observed responses and to predict how vaccines will interact with the immune system based upon responses seen in those individuals that can control the virus. And then third, to help us with vaccine design, particularly focused on viral genetics. The mathematical modeling group will assist Beatrice Hahn at UAB in viral genetics, and also will work with Joe Sodroski and Steve Harrison at Harvard in their structural analysis of the transmitted HIV envelope trimer. We’re currently in discussion with various groups with regard to who might participate. A group that’s already on board that has been a tremendous help to CHAVI investigators is the Los Alamos Mathematical Biology and Computational Immunology team, led by Bette Korber and Tanmoy Bhattac
