CFAR Early-Stage Investigators Yogesh Goyal, PhD, and alithia zamantakis, PhD, presented posters on their latest HIV research and participated in an ESI workshop at the 2024 National CFAR Meeting, hosted by the Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY Center for AIDS Research, on Oct. 28 – 30.

Goyal is an assistant professor in the departments of Cell and Developmental Biology and McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, and an investigator at the Chan Zukerberg Biohub Chicago. For his poster presentation, he discussed his study, “Ultrasensitive and high-throughput detection of HIV-1 “isoform-ome” in single host cells.”

During an HIV infection, different viral isoforms are at or below the detectable threshold of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), even in highly viremic samples, making their study in single cells challenging. To bridge this gap, Dr. Goyal and his research team introduced SALVEseq (Single-cell Amplified Libraries with Viral isoform Enrichment), a technology combining scRNAseq, targeted viral amplification, and computational analysis to specifically capture the viral “isoform-ome” from scRNAseq libraries. The study’s results demonstrated sensitive capture of rare viral transcripts from antiretroviral therapy (ART)-controlled samples. This shows that SALVEseq has the potential to identify cells and tissues problematic to ART suppression, and investigate potential mechanisms of this continuous viral expression under ART.

“This was my first CFAR National Meeting, and it provided an excellent opportunity to meet early-stage investigators and established HIV researchers,” said Goyal. “Since I am relatively new to the field, it was thoroughly satisfying discussing our research team’s new synthetic biology-inspired technologies and single-cell approaches, which could be critical to addressing outstanding questions in host-viral infection. I was excited to meet researchers whose observations on HIV gene variants brought us to this field. I am very grateful to the Third Coast CFAR for their support, both through funding and creating the right intellectual environment for my group’s venture into this field.”

zamantakis is a research assistant professor at Northwestern’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH). She spoke about her research findings from the RADAR cohort study during the poster session and director’s dinner. The study is one of the first to longitudinally examine the relationship between substance use and PrEP use and adherence among young transgender women and nonbinary individuals.

For her research, zamantakis used a sample of 244 young and racially and ethnically diverse young transgender women and nonbinary individuals from the RADAR cohort study. Substance use was measured as binge drinking, cannabis use, and illicit drug use in the past six months, as well as using the CUDIT (Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test) and AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test). The study’s results showed binge drinking in the past six months significantly predicted PrEP use in the past six months and current PrEP use. In addition, the CUDIT sum score was associated with a decrease in the odds of PrEP adherence. The results provide valuable insights into the relationship between substance use and PrEP use and adherence, showing the different effects of binge drinking and problematic cannabis consumption on PrEP outcomes.

“It was an honor to be able to attend and speak at the 2024 CFAR National Meeting,” said zamantakis. “Meeting with senior and early career investigators, hearing their thoughts on my work, and networking with researchers in similar and different fields was an incredible opportunity for me to build connections to further my work. I am extremely grateful to the Third Coast CFAR for making this possible by supporting me in attending.”

Goyal and zamantakis also met with senior faculty from across the CFAR network and program officers from institutes at the NIH during a day-long ESI mentoring workshop. The engaging sessions were assembled to help ESIs navigate grant writing and careers in academia. The TC CFAR’s Director Brian Mustanski, PhD, and the TC CFAR’s Co-Director Rich D’Aquila, MD, presented during the ESI mentoring workshop.

Goyal and zamantakis are both recipients of the TC CFAR pilot awards.