HIV-1 genome-level analysis of the occurrence and prevalence of transmissible HIV-1 drug resistance mutations in a low-middle income economy setting in Lusaka, Zambia

Mwelwa’s project intends to characterise acquired HIV-1 drug resistance mutations that could impact antiretroviral treatment (ART) and limit the efficacy of prevailing drug regimens in ART naive acute infection. She and her team intend to examine drug driven resistance patterns of viral diversification in acute and early infection in individuals through genome level analyses of HIV-1 sequences. The project will support HIV monitoring systems and provide useful information about drug resistance development, its prevalence, and associated treatment risk factors in newly diagnosed individuals.