I am interested in a detailed mechanistic understanding of how pathogens hijack host cell processes and use them to their advantage. In particular, I am interested in HIV latency and the regulation of HIV transcription in the host cell. After having studied the structural basis for HIV Tat and TAR interactions with the human positive transcription factor P-TEFb, I am now planning to use this detailed molecular knowledge to screen for inhibitors of TAR binding and to design a peptide mimetic for Tat.
