Dr. Velpandi Ayyavoo is a Professor and Vice Chair for Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, where she also serves as the Graduate Programs Director for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology. With over three decades of expertise in HIV-1 virology, her research focuses on understanding HIV neuropathogenesis and developing innovative models to study viral mechanisms in the central nervous system. Her educational background includes a PhD from Madurai Kamaraj University in India (1991), followed by postdoctoral training at The Wistar Institute (1991-1993) and a research associate position at The University of Pennsylvania (1994-1998). She teaches courses including Molecular Biology of Microbial Pathogens, Laboratory Methods, Seminar Series & Journal Club, Pathogen Biology, and Functional Genomics. Dr. Ayyavoo's research centers on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), where she pioneered the development of brain organoid models with microglia to study HIV neuropathogenesis. Her laboratory was the first to develop brain organoids with microglia, providing groundbreaking platforms for investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of HIV in the central nervous system. She also investigates HIV latency in CNS reservoirs and potential therapeutic targets to activate the virus, addressing the critical challenge of viral persistence despite antiretroviral therapy. Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on advancing 3D brain organoid technology to model HIV neuropathogenesis, with increasing emphasis on immunocompetent models containing HIV-infected microglia. Her work bridges virology, neuroscience, and tissue engineering, creating innovative platforms that overcome previous limitations in studying the complex neural-glial interactions affected by HIV. Dr. Ayyavoo has made significant contributions to understanding HIV-1's impact on the central nervous system, particularly in how the virus causes neuroinflammation, dysregulates neurogranin, and induces synaptodendritic injury. Her research has evolved from studying viral proteins like Vpr to developing sophisticated organoid models that better represent human brain complexity. She actively mentors graduate students through the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology program and collaborates with researchers across disciplines to address the persistent challenges of HIV persistence in sanctuary sites like the brain. Her laboratory work has direct implications for developing therapeutic strategies to eliminate viral reservoirs and prevent neurocognitive complications in people living with HIV.
