RetroActive News

RetroActive News is the center's annual newsletter distributed to members and friends with information on the past year's highlights and other achievements. 

RetroActive News - 2025 Highlights

  • Christopher Aiken, PhD was selected by the Center for Retrovirus Research of The Ohio State University to receive the 2025 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • Shan-Lu Liu, MD, PhD, Center Associate Director and Co-director of the Infectious Diseases Institute Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Thematic Program of Ohio State, received the 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award
  • Patrick Green, PhD was named Distinguished University Professor
  • NIH/NCI “Retrovirus Models of Cancer” Program Project Grant Renewed for 5th Cycle
  • Kai Xu Joins Ohio State Faculty and Center for Retrovirus Research
  • Amanda Panfil, PhD, Assistant Professor in Veterinary Biosciences was awarded NIH R21 to Uncover a Drug Approach to Block HTLV-1 Transmission
  • Cody Warren, PhD, Assistant Professor in Veterinary Biosciences was Awarded a USDA NIFA AFRI Award to Study H5N1 Influenza Virus Transmission Risk from Cattle to Swine
  • Namal Liyanage, PhD, Assistant Professor in Microbial Infection and Immunity and Veterinary Biosciences is has been Awarded an R21 Grant from NIAID to Study Novel Adjuvant to Enhance HIV Vaccine Efficacy
  • PhD Grraduate Student Highlights – Emily King, DVM/PhD (Amanda Panfil), Joseph Kanlong, BS (Musier-Forsyth), and Rocio Zaldivar, MS (Panfil)
     

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  • Dr. Peijun Zhang was selected by the Center for Retrovirus Research of The Ohio State University to receive the 2024 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • Shan-Lu Liu, MD, PhD, Center Associate Director and Co-director of the Infectious Diseases Institute Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Thematic Program of Ohio State, has been elected president of the American Society for Virology (ASV)
  • Jian Zhu, PhD, Professor of Pathology in the College of Medicine is awarded a $840,000 NIH R56 award to study antagonizing host immune
    escape mechanism to eliminate HIV-1 reservoirs
  • Namal Liyanage, PhD, Assistant Professor in Microbial Infection and Immunity and Veterinary Biosciences is awarded an R21 grant from FIC/NIH to study “HIV-Associated Non-Communicable Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)"
  • PhD Graduate Student Highlight – Panke Qu, PhD

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  • Amit Sharma is awarded an NIH R01 and U54 Duke Center HIV Structural Biology grants to investigate determinants of retroviral replication in non-native hosts for modeling HIV infection
  • NIH/NCI Diversity Supplement Awarded to Drs. Amanda Panfil and Patrick Green
  • Shan-Lu Liu is awarded a USDA contractual grant to study zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2
  • NIH-National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant awarded to Dr. Cody Warren to identify genetic barriers to animal virus replication in human cells
  • Kristine Yoder is awarded two NIH R01 grants to study retroviral integration complexes
  • Patrick Green is awarded an NIH R13 meeting grant to help support 33rd International Workshop on Retroviral Pathogenesis
  • Department of Defense (DOD) grant awarded to Dr. Sanggu Kim to improve T-cell lymphoma therapy
  • Wesley I. Sundquist was selected by the Center for Retrovirus Research of The Ohio State University to receive the 2023 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • PhD Graduate Student Highlight –Dr. John (Jack) P. Evans

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  • Nicholas Funderburg and Namal Liyanage receive NIH U01 to explore the consequences of lifelong HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the immune systems of perinatally infected adolescents
  • Amit Sharma is awarded with NIH R56 grant to investigate determinants of retroviral replication in non-native hosts for modeling HIV infection
  • Patrick Green was awarded an NIH R13 meeting grant to help support 32nd International Workshop on Retroviral Pathogenesis
  • Karin Musier-Forsyth and colleagues renew HIV Structural Biology U54 Center Grant
  • Cody Warren joins The Ohio State University and the Center
  • Kathleen Boris-Lawrie was selected by the Center for Retrovirus Research of The Ohio State University to receive the 2022 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • Shan-Lu Liu’s research on COVID-19 vaccine is highlighted by NIH Director and national media, demonstrating that booster vaccination is needed for broad protection against omicron subvariants

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  • Dr. Karin Musier-Forsyth and Colleagues Renew Cellular, Molecular and Biochemical Sciences Program (CMBP) T32 Predoctoral Training Grant
  • Dr. Amanda Panfil Funded to Study the Effects of m6A RNA Modifications on the Biology of HTLV-1
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu and Colleagues Discover a New Function of HIV Restriction Factor SERINC in Potentiating the Type I IFN and NFκB Signaling
  • Dr. Nicholas Funderburg Receives an NIH R01 to Investigate Cardiovascular Disease Among People Living with HIV
  • Dr. Jesse Kwiek Awarded NIH R01 to Study Low Birth Weight and Mortality to Children Born to Mothers Living with HIV
  • Dr. Karin Musier-Forsyth Awarded NIH R21 to Investigate the Mechanism of Selective Packaging of Primer tRNALys3 by HIV-1
  • Dr. Kai Xu Joins the Ohio State Faculty and Center for Retrovirus Research
  • Dr. Wei-Shau Hu - 2021 CRR Distinguished Research Career Award Recipient

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  • Dr. Patrick Green Renews Longest-running NIH/NCI Program Project Grant at The Ohio State University
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu Elected as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Dr. Karin Musier-Forsyth Awarded NIH R01 to Investigate RNA Binding and Packaging by Retroviral Gag Proteins
  • Dr. Nicholas Funderburg and Colleagues Provide Insight into Alterations of MDMs and Advanced Lipid Profiles During Chronic HIV Infection and During ART/PrEP Treatment that May Contribute to Increased Cardiometabolic Risk
  • Dr. Michael Root Joins the Ohio State Faculty and Center for Retrovirus Research
  • Dr. Amit Sharma - FDA approves Viral Transport Media Created by Ohio State Scientists to Expand and Accelerate COVID Testing
  • Drs. Amit Sharma and Ross Larue - Peptides Developed that Block Entry of Coronaviruses Using Host ACE2 Receptors
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu and Colleagues Develop New Lab Test to Clarify the Potential Protective Effects of COVID-19 Antibodies
  • Dr. Eric O. Freed - 2020 CRR Distinguished Research Career Award Recipient

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  • Dr. Amit Sharma awarded an NIH-R00 to host innate immune responses as a barrier to cross-species retrovirus transmission
  • Dr. Patrick Green honored by the International Retrovirology Association
  • Dr. Amanda Panfil (PhD) joins the Ohio State faculty and Center for Retrovirus Research
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu's new publication in PNAS uncovers new facets of HIV-host interactions
  • Drs. Matthew Sullivan, Sanggu Kim, and Colleagues awarded a DOE Grant to assess how viruses impact soil microbes
  • Dr. Patrick Green awarded NIH R13 meeting grant to help support 31st Workshop on Retroviral Pathogenesis
  • Drs. Patrick Green and Kristine Yoder received an NIH R21 to study Genome editing to prevent HTLV-1 disease
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu co-organized the First Midwest Virology Symposium at Ohio State

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  • Dr. Sanggu Kim awarded NIH grants focused on ground-breaking sequencing methodology and HIV detection and surveillance
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu elected fellow of the AAM
  • Dr. Amit Sharma (PhD) joins the Ohio State faculty and Center for Retrovirus Research
  • 'Molecular scissors' could be key to cutting off diseases including HIV infection
  • Drs. Ross Larue and James Fuchs funded to develop novel scaffolds as tools for HIV-1 integrase inhibition
  • Dr. Jian Zhu (PhD) joins the Ohio State faculty and Center for Retrovirus Research
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu awarded NIH R01 to investigate TIM-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 release
  • Dr. Patrick Green awarded an NIH R13 meeting grant to help support 30th Workshop on Retrovial Pathogenesis
  • Dr. Nicholas Funderburg receives NIH R01 grant to study HIV and Inflammation in transgender women
  • CRR collaborative study of leukemia using a mouse model

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  • Dr. Wu awarded NIH RO1 to study how RNA modifications modulate retroviral infection
  • Dr. Namal Liyanage, PhD joins the Ohio State faculty and the CRR
  • Dr. Wu elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Miquel Lopez selected for prestigious career development opportunity
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu named as Co-Director of the Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program of The Ohio State University's Infectious Disease Institute (IDI)
  • Dr. Kristine Yoder awarded NIH RO1 to investigate the mechanics of retroviral integration in real-time
  • Drs. Musier-Forsyth and Kvaratskhelia receive funding as par of the NIH U54 Collaborative HIV Interaction in Viral Evolution (HIVE) Center
  • Stephen H. Hughes, PhD receives the 2017 Distinguished Research Career Award

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  • Wu Lab discovers HIV RNA methylation regulating viral infection
  • Dr. Shan-Lu Liu, MD, PhD joins the  Ohio State faculty and Center
  • Dr. Nicholas Funderburg and colleagues receive NIH award to explore cellular mediators of vascular inflammation in treated HIV infection
  • Dr. Kristine Yoder awarded NIH R01 to visualize HIV-1 integration in real-time
  • Genoveffa Franchini, MD receives the 2016 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • Dr. Sanggu Kim receives the American Society of Hematology (ASH) junior faculty award
  • Dr. Mamuka Kvaratskhelia and colleagues uncover new approaches for combating HIV
  • Retrovirology Journal Club started in 2016

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  • Paul Bieniasz, PhD receives the 2015 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • Dr. Karin Musier-Forsyth receives NIH?NIGMS R01 to study RNA binding and packaging by retroviral Gag proteins
  • Dr. Li Wu and colleagues receive NIH award to explore the mechanisms that control HIV latency
  • Dr. Mamuka Kvaratskhelia receives NIH\NIAID R01 for structure/function studies of HIV-1 integrase
  • Dr. Sanggu Kim, PhD joins Ohio State faculty and Center
  • Congratulations to Dr. Kathleen Boris-Lawrie

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  • David Ho, MD receives the 2014 Distinguished Research Career Award
  • Investigative team receives $8.6M NCI grant for the study of retrovirus-associated cancer
  • Li Wu receives NIH\NCI award to explore the mechanisms of cutaneous T cell lymphoma
  • Mamuka Kvaratskhelia receives NIH\NIAID R01 to discover new types of allosteric HIV-1 integrase inhibitors
  • Drs. Green and Baiocchi funded to explore the role of PRMT5 in T-cell transformation and disease
  • Dr. Jesse Kwiek organized an infectious disease education mission to Guatemala

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