related links
research interests
The focus of Dr. Coombs' research activity is on the laboratory diagnosis and pathogenesis of HIV-1 and the quantification of viral load in the setting of therapeutic clinical trials involving both adult (Dr. Ann Collier, ACTG Network) and pediatric (Dr. Lisa Frenkel, IMPAACT Network) HIV-1 infected subjects. Of particular interest is validation of HIV-1 DNA and unintegrated episomal 2-LTR viral DNA as markers of infectivity when viral RNA levels are suppressed in the plasma with effective antiretroviral therapy.
Through collaborations with Dr. John Krieger (Department of Urology) and other investigators at the UW, a research program has been established to elucidate the shedding of HIV-1 in the male and female genital tracts and the regulation of HIV-1 shedding by genital tract inflammation (Drs. Jane Hitti, Michael Boeckh and Connie Celum).
education & training
PhD, Microbiology, Dalhousie University (1977)
MD, Dalhousie University (1982)
publications
