Johns Hopkins University · BiologyVeenhuis Lab
Rebecca Terilli Veenhuis · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Rebecca Terilli Veenhuis leads a research lab at Johns Hopkins University focusing on understanding how HIV and cocaine use disorder affect the blood-brain barrier and cognitive function. Her team explores immune mechanisms that govern brain health, particularly how immune cells associated with HIV can disrupt the protective barrier and contribute to cognitive impairment. The lab employs advanced imaging techniques and animal models to investigate novel treatments aimed at reducing inflammation and improving cognitive outcomes in people living with HIV.
HIVcocaine use disorderblood-brain barrierneuroinflammationbroadly neutralizing antibodiescognitive impairmentmonocyte reservoirSIVCNS healthantiretroviral therapy
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the impact of cocaine use on blood-brain barrier integrity in HIV-infected individuals.
AIM 02Evaluate the role of broadly neutralizing antibodies on neuroinflammation in SIV-infected macaques.
AIM 03Assess the differences in immune cell reservoirs between sexes in HIV-infected individuals.
Skills the Lab Values
MRI imaging techniquescell cultureimmunophenotypinganimal models (macaques)DNA assaysdata analysisflow cytometryWestern blotRNA extractionprotein assays
Output against the department
Publications41bottom 8% of dept.944th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations965bottom 4% of dept.987th of 1,033
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.