Cynthia A. Derdeyn

About

Cynthia A. Derdeyn, PhD, is a Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington. Her research combines studies of human subjects and animal models to develop and evaluate novel approaches for vaccination against HIV and elimination of the viral reservoir. Her focus is on viral diversity, particularly within the highly variable envelope glycoproteins, and the B cell and antibody responses that are elicited during infection and vaccination. She has held academic appointments at Emory University, where she served as Professor and previously as Associate Professor, and has a background in biochemistry and molecular genetics from Georgia State University. Her research interests include HIV/AIDS, immunology, vaccines, B cells, and antibody responses.

Research topics

• Biology
• Virology
• Immunology
• Chemistry
• Molecular biology
• Medicine

Selected publications

• Influence of membrane on the antigen presentation of the HIV-1 envelope membrane proximal external region (MPER)

  Current Opinion in Structural Biology · 2024-08-22 · 11 citations

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Structure of HIV-1 Env glycoprotein on virions reveals an alternative fusion subunit organization and native membrane coupling

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-01-10 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  An effective vaccine for Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) has yet to be developed, and detailed characterization of functional Env glycoprotein, the primary antigenic target on virions, has remained elusive. While engineered Env trimers recapitulate many aspects of functional Env, key differences in antigenicity and dynamic behavior have been reported. Here, cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging of HIV-1 virus-like particles (VLPs) revealed conformational differences in c…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• High throughput analysis of B cell dynamics and neutralizing antibody development during immunization with a novel clade C HIV-1 envelope

  PLoS Pathogens · 2023-10-25 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  A protective HIV-1 vaccine has been hampered by a limited understanding of how B cells acquire neutralizing activity. Our previous vaccines expressing two different HIV-1 envelopes elicited robust antigen specific serum IgG titers in 20 rhesus macaques; yet serum from only two animals neutralized the autologous virus. Here, we used high throughput immunoglobulin receptor and single cell RNA sequencing to characterize the overall expansion, recall, and maturation of antigen specific B cells longi…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Building Metabolically Stable and Potent Anti-HIV Thioether-Lipid Analogues of Tenofovir Exalidex: A thorough Pharmacological Analysis

  Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · 2024-10-16 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Inherently limited by poor bioavailability, antiviral agent tenofovir (TFV) is administered to people living with HIV in prodrug form. However, current prodrugs are prematurely metabolized, compromising access to HIV-infected cells and inducing toxicity. Inspired by lipid conjugate TFV exalidex (TXL), we recently disclosed TXL analogs with potent activity and robust hepatic stability in vitro, as well as attractive oral PK profiles in vivo. In parallel, we discovered the equipotent and equally s…

  PublisherDOI

• Reconstructing a Missing Link of HIV-1 Assembly: HIV-1 Envelope-Matrix Interactions in a Native Viral Context

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-01-16 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  The envelope surface glycoprotein (Env) on HIV-1 drives cell entry and genome delivery through its receptor binding and membrane fusion activities. Incorporation of Env onto assembling virions is governed by its cytoplasmic tail (Env-CT) and the matrix (MA) domain of the PR55Gag (Gag) polyprotein. To better understand how Gag recruits Env onto virions while reducing its antigenic profile by restricting Env copy number to low levels, we used cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and subtomogram aver…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Using DNA/MVA/protein immunization of rhesus macaques to investigate how the background of the HIV-1 envelope and nature of the protein boost shape the genetic and functional antibody landscape.

  NIH · $5.9M · 2017–2023

• Role of Follicular T Helper Cells In Enhancing Humoral Immunity and Protection

  NIH · $20.4M · 2017

• Determinants of Neutralization Breadth in Early HIV-1 Infection

  NIH · $6.7M · 2004–2019

Frequent coauthors

• Eric Hunter

  Rwanda Zambia HIV Research Group

  142 shared

• S. Abigail Smith

  HOPE Clinic

  61 shared

• George M. Shaw

  California University of Pennsylvania

  57 shared

• Joseph Mulenga

  48 shared

• Frédéric Bibollet‐Ruche

  University of Pennsylvania

  45 shared

• Susan Allen

  Rwanda Zambia HIV Research Group

  41 shared

• Beatrice H. Hahn

  University of Pennsylvania

  39 shared

• Julie M. Decker

  Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation

  39 shared

Education

• Ph.D., laboratory medicine, pathology

  University of Washington

• M.D.

  University of Washington

• Other

  University of Washington

• B.S.

  University of Washington

Similar researchers at University of Washington

• Charles E. Alpersh-112
• William Altemeierh-66
• Geoffrey S. Bairdh-35