Anne-Marie W. Turner

Anne-Marie W. Turner serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine within the Department of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, with primary affiliation in the Division of Infectious Diseases and active collaboration with the HIV Cure Center. Her research spans two interconnected domains: HIV latency mechanisms and vascular biology, leveraging epigenetic approaches across both fields.

Her research program focuses on epigenetic regulation in disease contexts, initially examining HIV latency through chromatin family proteins using small molecule inhibitors, shRNA knockdown, and CRISPR-targeting. Recent work has expanded significantly into vascular biology, with first-author publications in Nature Genetics (2022) and multiple high-impact cardiovascular papers since 2021. Key methodologies include single-nucleus chromatin accessibility profiling, nanopore-based integration site mapping, and bivalent chemical degraders (PROTACs). Current projects characterize intact provirus integration sites and investigate vascular calcification mechanisms through multi-ancestry genomics.

Her publication trajectory reveals a strategic expansion from HIV-focused work to broader applications of epigenetic expertise in cardiovascular disease. Recent articles demonstrate leadership in single-cell meta-analysis of atherosclerosis, coronary artery calcification genetics, and vascular smooth muscle biology, often using innovative techniques like long-read nanopore sequencing. This interdisciplinary approach connects chromatin regulation across infectious and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Turner maintains active collaborations across UNC departments including Biochemistry and Biophysics, the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, and the HIV Cure Center. Her work receives substantial interdisciplinary recognition through co-authorship in journals spanning virology, cardiology, and genomics.