EUEmory University · Microbiology & Immunology
Amara Lab
Rama Rao Amara · Atlanta, Georgia
Research Focus
Rama Rao Amara's lab at Emory University focuses on developing innovative approaches to vaccinate against HIV and achieve long-term remission from the virus. Their research includes creating DNA-based vaccines that stimulate both strong antibody production and robust cellular immunity, which are crucial for controlling HIV infections. The lab also explores therapies that target the immune system to improve CD8 T cell responses and reduce viral reservoirs, making strides in finding effective treatments for HIV/AIDS.
HIV vaccineDNA vaccinesCD8 T cellsPD-1 pathwayhumoral immunitycellular immunitylong-term immunityviral reservoirstherapeutic vaccination
Research Aims
4AIM 01Develop a vaccination strategy that elicits strong cellular and humoral immunity against HIV.
AIM 02Optimize DNA-LNP vaccine formulations for longevity of immune response.
AIM 03Investigate the effects of PD-1 blockade on CD8 T cell function.
AIM 04Evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined therapies for achieving HIV remission.
Skills the Lab Values
DNA-LNP vaccine developmentcell cultureimmunogenicity assaysanimal models (non-human primates)flow cytometryT cell analysisviral load measurementprotein expressionimmunotherapy techniques
Output against the department
Publications226top 27% of dept.133rd of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.9ktop 37% of dept.180th 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.