Gisele Umviligihozo

Gisele Umviligihozo is a Rwandan virologist with a PhD in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University in Canada and a postgraduate certificate in Infectious Diseases from the University of London in UK. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Health Research in Zambia and the Emory Vaccine Center at Emory University, USA.

Her early interest in biological diversity shaped her path into science and health research. Throughout her career, she has focused on HIV transmission dynamics, viral evolution, and control in African populations and beyond. Her work has explored correlates of HIV susceptibility, pathogenesis, and disease progression among heterosexual couples and key populations.

During her PhD, she studied the genetic and functional diversity of HIV-1 Nef and Vpu proteins in African long-term non-progressors and chronic progressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she expanded her research to SARS-CoV-2, focusing on immune responses to vaccination, particularly in people living with HIV.

Her current research investigates the role of sex in immune cell activation, HIV reservoir dynamics, and viral reactivation in ART-suppressed individuals, including the influence of sex hormones. Her work aims to advance understanding of HIV evolution and control and contribute to the development of vaccines and novel therapeutic strategies.