Ivan D'Orso

Dr. Ivan D'Orso is a Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, specializing in molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in HIV-1 latency, immune cell fate, and cancer. He earned his B.S. and M.S. from the National University of Mar del Plata and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the National University of Buenos Aires, followed by postdoctoral training at UCSF with Dr. Alan Frankel. His research integrates genetics, protein biochemistry, and virology to elucidate HIV transcriptional control and oncogenic processes. Supported by NIH grants (NIAID, NCI), The Welch Foundation, and others, his work bridges fundamental biology with therapeutic applications for HIV, cancer, and immune disorders.

Research interests include HIV latency mechanisms, transcription elongation regulation, and the interplay between epigenetics and oncogenesis. Notable achievements include defining roles of KAP1/TRIM28, PPM1G, and CDK9 in transcription control, as well as developing tools like the CIPHER bioinformatics workflow. His lab employs CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and systems biology approaches to dissect viral and cellular networks.

Key awards include the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2009) and fellowships from amfAR and the Human Frontier Science Program. Over 35 publications span high-impact journals like Nature Communications, Cell Reports, and Molecular Cell, with recent focus on reactivating latent HIV reservoirs and understanding ARF-mediated tumor suppression.

Grants and collaborations reflect interdisciplinary strengths, with funding supporting studies on HIV transcriptional programs, cancer epigenetics, and cellular signaling pathways. Ongoing projects aim to translate molecular insights into novel antiviral and anticancer therapies.