Kieran Anderson

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry master's student in the Faculty of Science

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I am fascinated by viruses and HIV stands above the rest as it is the most prominent of a small group of retroviruses (viruses that incorporate their genome into the host cell genome) that infects humans. Although much has been learned about the virus and effective treatments have been developed that can prevent progression to AIDS, there is still more work to be done to create a truly effective cure and a preventative vaccine.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

I chose to pursue graduate studies at SFU due to the quality of HIV research being done by Dr. Mark Brockman and Dr. Zabrina Brumme. I had worked on a few projects and assignments about HIV during my undergrad and I am grateful to be given the opportunity to study the virus directly. Additionally, I was drawn in by the location of the campus. After spending four years getting my BHSc at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario it was nice to come back home to BC and enjoy the campus architecture and the views from Burnaby Mountain.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

After anti-retroviral therapy is started for patients with HIV, the viral load decreases to undetectable levels, but the virus is not fully eliminated. If therapy is ceased, HIV will begin to emerge from latent reservoirs and start infecting cells again. The difficulties in detecting and eliminating these viral reservoirs has been a big roadblock in developing a true cure for HIV. The accessory protein "nef" has been shown to be involved in the reactivation process of latently infected cells. Nef can also be packaged in small extracellular vesicles called exosomes and secreted from reactivated cells where it can then travel to other latent cells and reactivate them as well. My research is focused on understanding how the nef protein manipulates cell secretory mechanisms to create and load cargo inside of these exosomes and how this could be utilized in the development of a treatment protocol based on waking up and destroying latent viral reservoirs.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

hiv, exosomes, accessory proteins

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

I took several courses at McMaster that helped develop my interest for immunological and virological research. They helped me identify what specific topics I was the most curious about and taught me the basics of these fields so I could explore more academic literature beyond the scope of the class.

Contact Kieran:kierana@sfu.ca

Additional Links

• LinkedIn