Reconstructing HIV Epidemics from HIV Phylogenetics
Funded at Triad National Security, LLC · NIH-11409172 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are building smarter ways to map where undiagnosed people with HIV are and how the virus spreads, using evolutionary ideas and artificial intelligence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Triad National Security, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Alamos, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | June 15, 2010 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,060,241 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AI087520-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11409172 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV or at risk for HIV who may benefit from changes in public health strategies informed by improved epidemic models.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patients may not experience immediate treatment changes from the modeling work itself.
What this research studies
This project plans to combine HIV genetic data with advanced modeling and AI to better identify transmission patterns. It will use data from known transmission pairs, pre-transmission donor samples, large cohorts, and national HIV case records to create more accurate epidemic models. The team will explore how multiple virus lineages, superspreading, contact tracing, and recombination affect epidemic dynamics. The goal is to produce practical modeling tools that can be applied to large HIV sequence datasets to inform public health actions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve targeting of HIV testing and treatment efforts by revealing transmission networks more clearly.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that integrating evolutionary theory with epidemiology can yield valuable insights for outbreak tracking.
Where this research is happening
-
Triad National Security, LLC
Los Alamos, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leitner, Thomas K. — Triad National Security, LLC
- Study coordinator: Leitner, Thomas K.
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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.