Boston University · Microbiology & ImmunologyAkiyama Inflammation Lab
Hisashi Akiyama · Boston, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Hisashi Akiyama's lab at Boston University Medical Campus focuses on understanding how HIV RNA and its modifications contribute to chronic inflammation in people living with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy. The lab investigates the mechanisms by which HIV RNA triggers immune responses that lead to complications such as neurocognitive disorders. By studying these processes, the lab aims to develop novel treatments that can minimize inflammation and improve the health outcomes of individuals with HIV.
HIVchronic inflammationinnate immune responseRNA modificationneurocognitive disordersantiretroviral therapyHIV-associated non-AIDS complicationsmacrophagesepitranscriptomics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how HIV RNA modifications influence chronic inflammation in people living with HIV.
AIM 02Identify the role of pro-inflammatory RNA readers in HIV-infected macrophages.
AIM 03Explore the RNA modification landscape associated with inflammation in individuals on antiretroviral therapy.
AIM 04Develop strategies to modify pro-inflammatory RNA landscapes to reduce inflammation in HIV patients.
AIM 05Understand the mechanisms by which HIV RNA triggers immune activation and contributes to non-AIDS complications.
Skills the Lab Values
RNA sequencingmacrophage culturebioinformaticsimmunoprecipitationnanopore sequencingflow cytometrymolecular cloningdata analysiscell culture techniques
Output against the department
Publications75bottom 23% of dept.371st of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.4kbottom 8% of dept.445th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.