The Ragon’s first research priority area was HIV, a devastating epidemic affecting millions of people worldwide. Our goal is to eradicate HIV by working collaboratively with scientists and affected communities in South Africa, the epicenter of the HIV epidemic.

At the Ragon, engineers, immunologists, clinicians, computational biologists, and immunogeneticists work together to integrate key facets of current vaccine development efforts across separate tracks to drive efforts for an efficacious vaccine.

We have one promising vaccine candidate in a clinical efficacy trial in Africa and several additional HIV vaccine concepts in development.

In addition, our labs have uncovered the mechanisms behind the ability of elite controllers to control HIV without the need for medication. These unique individuals have immune systems that can contain the virus and understanding their immune systems can help lead to a curative treatment for HIV.