Michael Roche

Dr. Michael Roche is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences at RMIT University, Australia. His work focuses on HIV pathogenesis, viral latency, and the persistence of HIV in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed individuals. Key research areas include viral reservoirs in tissues like the brain and liver, immune activation mechanisms, and the development of latency-reversing agents. He collaborates extensively with global teams to advance HIV cure strategies and diagnostic methods, such as digital PCR and imaging techniques.

• Research Interests: Medical Microbiology, Immunology, HIV/AIDS, Virology, Neuroinflammation, and Antiretroviral Therapy.
• Teaching Interests: Human Immunodeficiency virus dynamics, viral entry mechanisms, and viral latency.
• Open to supervising Masters and PhD students in HIV-related research.

His recent work emphasizes the role of non-human primate models in studying HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders and the impact of combination therapies on viral persistence. Dr. Roche also investigates co-infections (e.g., HIV/hepatitis B) and the circadian rhythms of HIV RNA production in ART-treated individuals.

Collaboration networks and interdisciplinary projects are central to his research, aiming to bridge basic science and clinical translation in HIV cure research.