Richard Sutton

Richard Sutton is a Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and of Microbial Pathogenesis at Yale School of Medicine, serving as Chief of Infectious Diseases Research at VA Connecticut Healthcare (VACT). He divides his time approximately 50% for research, 25% for clinical work (both outpatient and inpatient at VACT), and 25% for research administration. Dr. Sutton served as Chief of Infectious Diseases at VACT from 2013-2024.

Dr. Sutton completed undergraduate studies at Brown University, followed by an MD/PhD at Stanford University School of Medicine where he earned his PhD working on trans-splicing in African trypanosomes under Dr. John Boothroyd. He completed internal medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and infectious diseases fellowship at UCSF. After post-doctoral work with Drs. Harold Varmus, Dan Littman, and Pat Brown focusing on HTLV cell binding and HIV-based gene therapy vectors, he joined Baylor College of Medicine before moving to Yale in 2008.

His research program centers on HIV replication and pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on CCR5 transcriptional and post-transcriptional control and novel anti-HIV therapeutics targeting HIV Tat and Rev regulatory proteins. His laboratory investigates viral entry mechanisms, replication dynamics, and host factors influencing viral persistence. Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on HIV therapeutics, CCR5 targeting, and immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, especially in people living with HIV.

Dr. Sutton has received prestigious awards including the Avant Garde Scholar award (2013), Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Foundation Scholar award, and Pfizer Postdoctoral Scholar Award. His research has been funded by ViiV Healthcare, NIAID, NCI, and the American Heart Association.

• Medical Research Interests: HIV; Infectious Disease Medicine; Molecular Biology; SARS-CoV-2
• Public Health Interests: HIV/AIDS
• ORCID: 0000-0001-7418-2378

After taking an administrative leave of absence in mid-April 2022, Dr. Sutton resumed all clinical, educational, and research activities before the beginning of 2023. He considers mentoring trainees and hearing about their progress as "the favorite part of my job."