Doris Jwo
Age:18
Year: Sophomore
College/University: Duke University
Intended major/minor(s): Undecided
Future career goals: Law School
Place of birth: Ithaca, NY
Hometown: Mount Sinai, NY
Hobbies: Reading, playing music, traveling, exploring new places
Faculty Mentor: Susanne Haga, PhD
Summer Research Project: Impact of Host Genetic Information on HIV-1 Risk Behavior
Abstract: Doris I. Jwo, Susanne Haga
Tremendous advances in HIV/AIDS research have yielded effective drug treatments and personalized therapy based on viral genotyping. More recently, several host genetic variants associated with the progression to AIDS and treatment response have been identified. Why then, are infection rates among at-risk groups, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM), still rising annually? One possible reason for the rising prevalence is complacency in the HIV-positive population with respect to practicing protected sex due to the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy. We hypothesize that while genetic testing to determine prognosis and treatment response may improve long-term outcomes, it may further contribute to risky behaviors if the patient is predicted to have slow progression to disease or favorable response to therapy. To explore this possibility, we conducted a literature review of the epidemiological, clinical, host genetic and behavioral aspects related to HIV-1 in MSM. Based on this data, we propose a study of an HIV-1 positive MSM cohort to assess attitudes and behavior before and after genetic testing.