Gregory Viglianti

Gregory Viglianti is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Operations at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, within the Department of Virology, Immunology & Microbiology. He holds additional roles as a member of the Boston University Genome Science Institute and a Graduate Faculty mentor in the Graduate Medical Sciences program.

His research focuses on two main areas: 1) Co-factors influencing HIV-1 mucosal transmission, particularly the role of Toll-like receptors (TLR) and nuclear receptors (e.g., PPARγ, LXR) in modulating inflammation and viral entry; and 2) Endogenous nucleic acid autoantigens in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), investigating how DNA/RNA-containing immune complexes trigger autoreactive B cell activation. Collaborations include work with Dr. Ann Marshak-Rothstein on autoimmune mechanisms.

Dr. Viglianti has led NIH-funded projects since the 1990s, including grants on HIV latency, TLR signaling, and chromatin remodeling. Notable recent work includes studies on IRF5 deficiency in lupus prevention and bacterial interactions promoting HIV latency in macrophages.

Education: PhD from the University of Minnesota and BA from Lafayette College. Active in mentoring graduate students (e.g., Sita Ramaswamy, Brianna Close) and serves on the Immunology Training Program faculty.