Mullins Molecular Retrovirology Lab

The Mullins laboratory is located in the Rosen Building on the South Lake Union campus of the University of Washington School of Medicine. Our lab uses molecular, computational, and virus biology techniques to provide insights into the relationship between HIV and its human hosts in an effort to fight the AIDS pandemic. We use a variety of methods to document and understand the implications of HIV's extraordinary genetic diversity on the immunopathogenesis of AIDS, with a particular emphasis on acute/early infection and superinfection. We then apply this information to develop more effective vaccines and therapies in collaboration with other investigators. Our research work focuses on the acquisition and computational characterization of HIV nucleotide sequences, the development of web tools for related computational studies, in vitro studies of the growth properties of viral isolates, host genetic polymorphism analysis, and high-throughput analysis of cellular transcription.

Lab News

Job opening: scientific programmer/senior computer specialist

We are currently recruiting for a a position developing software in our lab.

New research featured in Science

"Cancer Genes Help HIV Persist, Complicating Cure Efforts."Science News & Analysis, 14 March 2014

RV144 Analysis Featured by Nature

"Vaccine trial reveals chinks in HIV's armour."Nature | News, 10 September 2012

Step Trial Analysis Featured in UW Today

"For first time, scientists show an HIV vaccine impacts the genetic makeup of the virus." UW Today, 1 March 2011

Recent Publications

Hu X, Valentin A, Cai Y, Dayton F, Rosati M, Ramírez-Salazar EG, Kulkarni V, Broderick KE, Sardesai NY, Wyatt LS, Earl PL, Moss B, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK 2018 DNA Vaccine-Induced Long-Lasting Cytotoxic T Cells Targeting Conserved Elements of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gag Are Boosted Upon DNA or Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vaccination. Human gene therapy pubmed

Hu X, Lu Z, Valentin A, Rosati M, Broderick KE, Sardesai NY, Marx PA, Mullins JI, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK 2018 Gag and Env Conserved Element CE DNA Vaccines Elicit Broad Cytotoxic T Cell Responses Targeting Subdominant Epitopes of HIV and SIV Able to Recognize Virus-infected Cells in Macaques. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics Epub Ahead of Print pubmed

Stekler J, Tapia K, Maenza J, Stevens CE, Ure G, O'Neal J, Lane A, Mullins JI, Coombs R, Holte SE, Collier AC 2018 No time to delay! Fiebig stages and referral in acute HIV infection: Seattle Primary Infection Program Experience. AIDS research and human retroviruses pubmed

Munson P, Liu Y, Bratt D, Fuller JT, Hu X, Pavlakis GN, Felber BK, Mullins JI, Fuller DH 2018 Therapeutic conserved elements (CE) DNA vaccine induces strong T-cell responses against highly conserved viral sequences during simian-human immunodeficiency virus infection. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics epub ahead of print pubmed

Stekler JD, Milne R, Payant R, Beck I, Herbeck J, Maust B, Deng W, Tapia K, Holte S, Maenza J, Stevens CE, Mullins JI, Collier AC, Frenkel LM 2018 Transmission of HIV-1 drug resistance mutations within partner-pairs: A cross-sectional study of a primary HIV infection cohort. PLoS medicine153e1002537 pubmed