Rupert Kaul

My lab is interested in the mucosal underpinning of HIV susceptibility and progression, with a focus on the mucosal immunology and microbiome of the female genital tract, foreskin and rectum. These translational studies are based in participant cohorts from Canada, the US, Kenya and Uganda and involve close collaboration and interaction with the HIV community. Specific areas of study include:

1. Effect of clinical interventions targeting the genital (penile and vaginal) microbiota and STIs on genital immunology, reproductive health and HIV susceptibility.

2. Induction and implications of host antibody responses against genital microbiota.

3. Genital immune effects and microbiome exchange during penile-vaginal sex.

4. Sexual violence and HIV susceptibility.

5. The immune environment of the nasopharynx: microbiome associations and host impact on respiratory virus susceptibility.