Stephen Spector, MD

Dr. Stephen A. Spector is Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Director, Mother-Child-Adolescent HIV Program at the University of California, San Diego. He has been involved with HIV/AIDS research since the beginning of the epidemic. He was the PI and chair of the Executive Committee of the PACTG for more than 10 years during the period of time when HIV mother-to-child transmission was decreased from 25% to <2% and HIV infection was transformed from an invariably fatal disease to a chronic illness. As part of my clinical research program, he directs the UCSD Mother-Child-Adolescent HIV Program that participates in clinical trials within the IMPAACT, PHACS and ATN networks. He has participated and led numerous studies that have focused on improved treatments for HIV-infected youth. His laboratory research has focused on the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV) and human cytomegalovirus (CMV). His interest in the identification of host factors that affect HIV pathogenesis led the novel finding that during permissive infection, HIV down-regulates autophagy to promote its own replication, and the induction of autophagy (using mTOR inhibitors as well as vitamin D3) inhibits HIV replication. The laboratory has also identified specific host genetic variants that are associated with mother-to-child transmission, HIV disease progression, and antiretroviral pharmacokinetics and adverse effects. This research led to his examining the association of host factors that control HIV replication with the goal of identifying novel strategies to eradicate HIV from those infected. His current CMV research examines the role of CMV in the development and progression of endothelial cell inflammation and cardiovascular disease.