August 6, 2018 Print
Westmead Institute student, Jake Rhodes, has received a full scholarship to attend and present at the HIV Research for Prevention (HIVR4P) conference in Madrid.
Jake, a PhD student with the University of Sydney, will present his research on the sexual transmission of HIV.
PhD student Jake Rhodes
“My research focuses on what happens during the early stages of infection,” he said.
“We have identified a novel cell, mainly found in anogenital tissue, that can be highly infected with HIV and establish an infection throughout the body.
“I’m researching this particular cell to understand why it becomes highly infected, and how this occurs after the sexual transmission of HIV.”
Jake hopes that by understanding the early events of the transmission of HIV, his research will contribute to preventative strategies and treatments.
“I’m analysing the cells within 30 minutes to two hours after infection occurs, which hasn’t been investigated before. This could give us a better understanding of how HIV spreads, and what we can do to prevent it,” he said.
The conference, held in October, will be Jake’s first international conference.
“This will be my first time at an international conference, so I’m very excited for the opportunity.
“I was pretty stoked to find out I had received the full scholarship, as I wasn’t really expecting it. But, I’m very grateful to be able to share my research with others in the field,” he said.
Congratulations Jake, and best of luck at the conference.