COVID-19 vaccine immune response in people living with HIV
Immune response to COVID-19 vaccine in HIV infected men and women
This project measures how people living with HIV respond over time to Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines compared with people without HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168985 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will follow men and women with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy and a smaller group of people without HIV before and after they receive Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. They will collect blood samples to measure neutralizing antibodies, B cell responses, immune cell types, and soluble immune markers. The team will also measure the size and composition of the persistent HIV reservoir before and after vaccination. Machine learning will be used to combine these lab results to identify patterns that predict who mounts a strong vaccine response.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (men and women) and adults without HIV who have received or plan to receive Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children, people who received non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, or individuals not on antiretroviral therapy may not directly benefit from the study's findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help tailor vaccination recommendations, booster timing, or monitoring for people living with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Early, smaller studies have shown mixed results—some people with well-controlled HIV mount similar vaccine responses while others show weaker responses—so this larger, detailed cohort work builds on limited prior data.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rinaldo, Charles R — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Rinaldo, Charles R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.