HIV in pregnancy: how the virus hides in blood, placenta, and breast milk
Official title: Subtype C HIV-1 Reservoir in Pregnancy-specific Compartments
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11470566 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with pregnant people living with HIV will map where HIV hides in blood, placenta, and breast milk to help scientists design safer cure strategies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $898,181 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI203452-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11470566 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women living with HIV and their infants who are receiving standard care and follow-up.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without HIV or pregnant people not living with HIV are not the study population.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the HIV reservoir is distributed in pregnant women and in the tissues that support pregnancy and infant development. Researchers will compare HIV in blood with HIV in the placenta and in breast milk to understand transmission risks and long-term health implications. A multidisciplinary team will use tissue and fluid samples to explore how pregnancy affects HIV reservoirs and what that could mean for future therapies safe for both mother and baby.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide safer cure approaches for pregnant women and reduce risks for HIV-exposed but uninfected infants.
How similar studies have gone: There is limited published data on HIV reservoirs during pregnancy, making this approach relatively novel but with potential for meaningful insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dupnik, Kathryn M — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Dupnik, Kathryn M
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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.