MMCMeharry Medical College · Microbiology & Immunology
Muthukumar Immunology Lab
Muthukumar Balasubramaniam · Nashville, Tennessee
Research Focus
Dr. Muthukumar Balasubramaniam's lab focuses on understanding how HIV-1 can evade the immune system in certain individuals known as elite controllers. These elite controllers can manage their HIV infection without the need for constant treatment. The research looks into the molecular interactions between the virus and the host's immune factors that could lead to potential new therapies or even a functional cure for HIV/AIDS.
HIVelite controllersimmune escapeviral replicationtherapeutic strategies
Research Aims
3AIM 01Understand the molecular mechanisms of HIV-1 immune control by elite controllers.
AIM 02Identify how specific mutations in HIV-1 affect its integration and replication.
AIM 03Explore the role of host factors like TRIM5 in HIV-1 infection dynamics.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular cloningWestern blotPCRflow cytometry
Output against the department
Publications63bottom 17% of dept.402nd of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.0kbottom 13% of dept.425th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.