Alice Telesnitsky

Alice Telesnitsky is a Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School. Her research focuses on HIV-1 RNA biology, including transcription start site heterogeneity, genome packaging, and epigenetic mechanisms of viral persistence.

• BS in Genetics, University of California, Davis (1979)
• PhD in Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley (1988)
• Postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University

Her work reveals how HIV-1 employs diverse RNA isoforms with distinct functions in replication and pathogenesis. Recent studies highlight RNA structural plasticity, cap-sequestration mechanisms, and transcriptional start site dynamics in viral RNA fate.

• Collaborated on 20+ publications on HIV-1 replication and RNA structure
• Led research on transcription start site heterogeneity and its role in viral evolution
• Co-authored studies on APOBEC3H antiviral activity and UBQLN2 protein toxicity

As an MCIDT Affiliate, she investigates HIV-1 genome packaging with collaborators like Michael Summers and James Munro, contributing to understanding HIV therapeutics targets via RNA structural analysis.