Department of Medicine

University of Pittsburgh

Division of Infectious Diseases

General Infectious Diseases Clinic
University of Pittsburgh Infectious Diseases Clinics
Falk Medical Building
3601 Fifth Avenue
7th Floor Falk Medical Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Patient Appointments: 412-647-0996
Main ID Fax Number: 412-647-3162

HIV/AIDS Care Center
University of Pittsburgh Infectious Diseases
Falk Medical Building
3601 Fifth Avenue
7th Floor Falk Medical Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment Clinic (PACT)
PACT Patient Appointments: 412-647-7228 or 1-877-788-7228
PACT Fax Number: 412-647-7951

Pittsburgh Treatment and Evaluation Unit (PTEU)
PTEU Patient Appointments:: 412-647-8125 or 1-888-396-7838
PTEU Fax Number: 412-647-6253

Anal Dysplasia Clinics
Falk Medical Building, 7th Floor
Appointments can be made by calling: 412-647-7228
or 1-877-788-7228
HIV+ patients who currently receive their care at the PACT Clinic are seen here

Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC
Zero Level, Tan Unit
Appointments can be made by calling: 412-647-0996
Any patient referred from an outside provider will be seen here. Men and women are welcome.

Immunocompromised Patient (Transplant) Infectious Diseases Clinic
University of Pittsburgh Infectious Diseases Clinics
Falk Medical Building
3601 Fifth Avenue
7th Floor Falk Medical Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Patient Appointments: 412-647-0996
Main ID Fax Number: 412-647-3162

Zandrea Ambrose, PhD
photo

Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine (primary)

Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (secondary)

Assistant Professor, Graduate Program in Molecular Virology and Microbiology

Research Affiliate, Washington National Primate Research Center

Co-Director, Imaging Core, Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions
Office: 830 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
 
Phone: 412-624-0512
Fax: 412-383-5851
E-mail: zaa4@pitt.edu
Education
B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University, 1994
Ph.D., University of Washington, 2001
Training
Research fellow, HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, 2007
Area of Specialization/Research Interest  
Identification and eradication of HIV reservoirs
Understanding the evolution of HIV drug resistance
Mechanisms of action of novel antiretroviral drugs
Understanding the early infection pathway of HIV-1
 
Profile
According to UNAIDS, over 34 million people around the world are infected with HIV. The Ambrose laboratory investigates therapies for HIV prevention, treatment, and eradication with the use of basic cellular and molecular virology as well as animal models of HIV/AIDS.

New methods to prevent infection, particularly of women who may not be able to control their partners' use of condoms, are essential in curbing the epidemic. Our lab is currently testing an injectable, long-acting nanoparticle formulation of the newest FDA-approved antiretroviral drug, rilpivirine, in a macaque model. Understanding the efficacy of this treatment in reducing plasma virus and measuring the potential emergence of drug-resistant virus will help determine whether and how it can be used prophylactically to prevent HIV. In addition, Dr. Ambrose is interested in understanding the mechanisms of why some microbicides are inefficient at preventing HIV after repeated use.

Since the 1990s, combination antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV-infected individuals has saved millions of lives globally. Unfortunately, HIV drug resistance is still a problem and the Ambrose lab is studying the emergence of drug-resistant viruses in macaques treated with commonly prescribed therapy. Of particular interest is identifying the emergence and persistence of drug resistance in tissues, which cannot be easily examined in humans, and correlating drug levels in different tissues to levels of resistance. In addition, new drug targets for better therapies are needed and the Ambrose lab is involved in a collaboratory to investigate novel interactions of HIV with proteins in human cells, including primary T cells and macrophages, which can be exploited for drug development.

Although there is no cure for HIV, recent studies have given hope for new treatments to eliminate HIV-infected cells from individuals. With our animal model, the Ambrose lab is determining how virus persists in cells and how these cells are distributed in tissues throughout the body. While examining the blood in HIV-infected individuals is informative, it will not reveal infected cells in other anatomical sites that may not be accessible by some drugs. These studies will guide us in targeting therapies to these tissues for eradication, which can hopefully lead to an HIV cure.
Lab Personnel and Web page
Tamera Franks; Christopher Kline; Kevin Melody; Zach Sauers; and Hongzhan Xu, PhD
For Pub Med search results, click here.