As an NIH-funded Principal Investigator at Texas Biomed and Core Scientist with SNPRC, Dr. Sharan’s lab studies host-pathogen interactions and host-directed therapies in TB/HIV co-infection using rhesus macaque model. HIV and TB act synergistically to magnify the burden of disease with deadly consequences worldwide. People living with HIV are at a high risk of reactivating latent TB infection. Dr. Sharan seeks to clarify the precise mechanisms of how HIV reactivates latent tuberculosis (TB) and how this causes both diseases to get worse, even when patients are on antiretroviral therapy against HIV. The long-term goal is to explore an intervention targeting the immune system to control chronic immune activation and reduce latent TB reactivation. As the lead of Development Core, IN-TRAC, Dr. Sharan oversees a culture of continuous education and development for IN-TRAC participants that are prospective or established TB researchers. This includes career development training in lab management, grant writing and community engagement, and tailoring the research and clinical experiences to develop TB researchers that are adaptable to the changing landscape of future research and clinical needs. 

https://www.txbiomed.org/scientists/riti-sharan-ph-d/