Projects
Our research and activities are made possible through the generous support of the following funding organizations and partners.
COMBAT
Advancing Pandemic Preparedness: Innovative Multidisciplinary Strategies for COMBATing Severe Dengue
The COMBAT, a HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions, addresses the growing global threat of dengue by combining advanced technologies with knowledge from endemic regions to develop innovative prevention and treatment strategies. The project applies super-resolution microscopy, brain-on-chip models, multi-omics, AI, and machine learning to study dengue virus–host interactions, model disease pathogenesis, and predict severe outcomes. COMBAT focuses on identifying early biomarkers of severe dengue, developing host-directed antiviral strategies, repurposing drugs, and creating scalable tools for pandemic preparedness. By integrating nanoscale imaging, organ-on-chip technology, and computational modeling, COMBAT advances interdisciplinary research and strengthens Europe’s capacity to respond to dengue and other viral epidemics.
More information about the project here.
Funding: HORIZON-RIA (HORIZON-HLTH-2024-DISEASE-08, Grant ID: 101191315)
MERIT
Metabolic reprogramming in viral pathogenesis: from infection to therapeutic innovations
The MERIT, a MSCA Doctoral Networks program, aims to move virology beyond a virus-centric approach by integrating host biology, with a focus on virus–host interactions, metabolic reprogramming, and the long-term consequences of infection. Using organotypic models, integrative and spatial omics, and advanced microscopy, MERIT will study viral pathogenesis in human-relevant tissue contexts and link molecular changes to cellular and tissue-level events. By combining these state-of-the-art methods, the consortium will advance fundamental virology, support the development of new therapeutic strategies, and train MSCA doctoral researchers with cutting-edge interdisciplinary skills. This holistic approach will strengthen pandemic preparedness and enhance the EU’s leadership in infectious disease research.
More information about the project here.
Funding: Horizon Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network Grant (HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01, Grant ID: 101312129)
AROGYA
Healthy Aging with HIV
The AROGYA study aims to promote healthy aging in people living with HIV by understanding the mechanisms driving premature immune aging. As advances in antiretroviral therapy enable longer lives, the focus has shifted toward managing age-related health challenges, including cardiovascular, bone, mental, metabolic, and social well-being. AROGYA integrates multi-omics systems biology, organ-on-chip technologies, and advanced single-cell profiling across well-defined clinical cohorts from high- and low-income settings. The project will identify biomarkers of immune aging, uncover metabolic pathways that may offer therapeutic opportunities, and validate molecular findings through mechanistic studies. By combining interdisciplinary expertise and innovative technologies, AROGYA seeks to develop new strategies to prevent or treat age-associated diseases in people with HIV.
More information about the project here.
Funding: Swedish Research Council (2018-06156)
HIV Functional Cure
Neuroimmunometabolic Strategies for Eliminating HIV-1 Reservoirs in the Brain
ELIMINATE builds on recent immunometabolic studies in HIV-positive elite controllers and long-term treated people living with HIV, which identified a druggable molecular network regulating alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) homeostasis. The project aims to develop a novel immunometabolic engineering strategy to eliminate latent HIV reservoirs, where the virus persists despite immune control and antiretroviral therapy. ELIMINATE is based on the hypothesis that disruptions in AKG homeostasis and TCA cycle metabolism within the HIV reservoir microenvironment support viral persistence and limit reactivation. By restoring metabolic balance through targeted metabolic engineering, the project seeks to disrupt the cellular mechanisms that maintain HIV latency and advance a sustainable strategy for a functional cure. The project has three aims: to define the role of the HIV reservoir microenvironment in viral persistence and reactivation; to explore how AKG-mediated metabolic perturbations contribute to latent HIV persistence; and to translate metabolic engineering approaches into innovative functional cure strategies.
Funding: Swedish Research Council(2017-01330, 2021-01756), Karolinska Institutet Consolidator Grant(2-117/2023)
Maternal-fetal Immune Dynamics
This line of research investigates how HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) shape the placental immunometabolic environment and neonatal immunity. Although ART is highly effective at preventing vertical transmission and is globally recommended for pregnant women living with HIV, emerging evidence suggests that nearly half of people living with HIV face immunometabolic complications, and the combined effects of HIV-driven immune activation and ART-induced metabolic stress on the placenta remain poorly understood, despite lasting implications for long-term health. Applying a systems immunology approach, this project pursues three aims: to characterize the cellular landscape of the placental microenvironment at single-cell resolution; to elucidate the immunometabolic adaptations that emerge in response to HIV and ART; and to define molecular signatures linking placental function to neonatal immunity. By integrating these perspectives, the project aims to deliver mechanistic insights into maternal-fetal immune interactions and uncover novel targets for diagnostics and interventions to improve maternal and early life health in HIV-affected pregnancies.
More information about the project here.
Funding: Swedish Research Council (2025-02198), Åke Wiberg Foundation (M25-0374), Jeansson Foundation (J2025-0113)