Zandrea Ambrose, PhD
- Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
- Center for Vaccine Research (CVR
- Rustbelt Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine (CEBaM)
- Hillman Cancer Virology Program (CVP)
- Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions (PCHPI)
Education & Training
- Postdoc: HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, National Cancer Institute
- University of Washington, PhD, Pathobiology, 2001
- Ohio Wesleyan University, BA, Zoology and Pre-medicine, 1994
Research Interest Summary
Research Interests
The Ambrose laboratory studies antiretroviral therapeutics used for HIV-1 prevention and suppression, including the characterization of new drug targets against early steps of the virus life cycle, and the impact of drug resistance on HIV-1 transmission, prevention, persistence, and treatment. To identify potential new therapeutic targets for HIV, we use genetics and microscopy assays to investigate host-virus interactions in early infection, including HIV capsid uncoating, reverse transcription and nuclear entry. The Ambrose lab has also studies SARS-CoV-2 replication and interaction with host cell pathways.
In addition, our lab studies novel drug candidates and sustained release therapies in vitro and in vivo for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV-1 transmission as well as for antiretroviral treatment (ART) of HIV-infected individuals. We also investigate viral diversity that may impact co-infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or hepatitis B virus (HBV) and may lead to the development of HIV-1 drug resistance during PrEP or ART, which can impact subsequent or new therapy and the composition and persistence of tissue HIV-1 reservoirs.
Publications
1. Diedrich CR, Rutledge T, Gleim J, Kline C, Maiello P, Medrano J, Borish HJ, Chishti H, Gaines J, Klein E, Hopkins F, Klein J, Fillmore D, Kracinovsky K, Tomko J, Schober J, Fortune S, Chao M, Flynn JL, Ambrose Z, Lin PL. Antiretroviral therapy does not prevent extrapulmonary tuberculosis during SIV-Mtb co-infection in macaques, bioRxiv 2025.
2. Fischer HL, Kline C, Duprex WP, McCarthy KR, Watkins SC, Conway JF, Ambrose Z. Deletion of the Envelope gene attenuates SARS-CoV-2 infection by altered Spike localization and increased cell-to-cell transmission, bioRxiv 2025. PMC12140015
3. Ingram Z, Kline C, Hughson AK, Singh PK, Fischer HL, Radhakrishnan R, Sowd GA, Dos Santos NFB, Ganser-Pornillos BK, Watkins SC, Kane M, Engelman AN, Ambrose Z. Spatiotemporal binding of cyclophilin A and CPSF6 to capsid regulates HIV-1 nuclear entry and integration, mBio 2025, 16(4):e0016925. PMC11980554
4. Xu C, Fischer DK, Rankovic S, Li W, Dick R, Runge B, Ahn J, Aiken C, Polenova T, Engelman AN, Ambrose Z*, Rousso I*, Perilla JR*. Permeability of the HIV-1 capsid to metabolites modulates viral DNA synthesis, PLoS Biol 2020, 18(12):e3001015. PMCID: PMC7775124
5. Melody K, Roy CN, Kline C, Cottrell ML, Evans D, Shutt K, Pennings PS, Keele BF, Bility M, Kashuba ADM, Ambrose Z. Long-acting rilpivirine (RPV LA) pre-exposure prophylaxis does not inhibit vaginal transmission of RPV-resistant HIV-1 nor select for high frequency drug resistance in humanized mice. J Virol 2020, 94(8):e01912-19. PMCID: PMC7108851