Research Interests

Dr. Celum's research currently focuses on HIV prevention and vaccine trials with the objective to find effective strategies to reduce HIV acquisition and transmission. She utilizes epidemiologic data on behavioral and biologic risk factors for HIV acquisition and transmission to identify potential intervention strategies and then to conduct randomized clinical trials to determine safety and efficacy of these interventions with biologic outcome measurements. Her current effort is focused on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), particularly genital herpes, as co-factors for HIV acquisition and transmission and clinical trials of candidate HIV vaccines. First, she is investigating HSV-2 as a co-factor for HIV acquisition and transmission, through a large randomized trial of daily antivirals for HSV-2 suppression to determine whether HIV acquisition can be reduced by 50% among HIV-negative, HSV-2 seropositive women in two African sites, and among MSM in Peru and two US sites. Second, to determine the effect of genital herpes on HIV infectiousness, she is conducting a large multi-center trial of HSV-2 suppression among HIV-discordant couples in Africa and India. Third, she is studying the effect of HSV-2 on mucosal HIV shedding with a double-blind cross-over study of valacyclovir among HIV/HSV-2 co-infected men and women in Peru. Fourth, she is studying the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for HSV-1 and HSV-2 acquisition among high-risk men who have sex with men in a multi-center trial of a behavioral intervention (Project Explore). Fifth, as part of her interest in the evaluation of HIV vaccine trials, she is developing approaches to assess the effect of partially-effective HIV vaccines on viral set-point and disease progression, including a standardized approach to provision of antiretroviral therapy for breakthrough infections in phase III trials.

Dr. Celum has developed research clinical units in Seattle and Lima, Peru, to conduct epidemiologic studies and clinical trials of HIV prevention interventions and vaccines. In addition, she serves as the PI on two multi-center international clinical trials of HSV-2 suppression and HIV transmission with sites in Africa, India, and Latin America, which provide opportunities for graduate students interested in studying the epidemiology of STD and HIV infection

HIV prevention; microbicide; vaccine trials with the objective to find effective strategies to reduce HIV acquisition and transmission.

Recent Publications (PubMed)

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