University of Nebraska Medical Center · PharmacologyGorantla Lab
Santhi Gorantla · Omaha, Nebraska
Research Focus
Dr. Santhi Gorantla's lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center focuses on understanding how HIV-1 persists in the central nervous system and how it can be attacked using new therapies. The lab studies immune cells that harbor the virus, particularly in the brain, to find out how drug use affects HIV's presence and the development of related neurological disorders. By using a specially developed mouse model that mimics human biology, the lab aims to develop strategies to eliminate HIV-1 from these reservoirs and improve treatment outcomes for patients.
HIV-1central nervous systemneuroAIDShumanized mouse modeldrug abuseviral reservoirsneurocognitive disordersgene therapyantiretroviral therapy
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the dynamics of HIV-1 reservoirs in the central nervous system.
AIM 02Explore the effects of drug abuse on HIV-1 persistence and neurocognitive disorders.
AIM 03Develop novel therapies to eliminate HIV-1 from immune cell reservoirs.
AIM 04Characterize the role of microglia in HIV-1 infection and persistence.
AIM 05Analyze how genetic factors influence HIV-1 reservoir establishment.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturemouse modelsimmunohistochemistryflow cytometryRNA sequencingWestern blotcomputation modelingmolecular cloning
Output against the department
Publications137bottom 39% of dept.282nd of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.8kbottom 48% of dept.240th of 462
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.