Huanbin Xu, PhD

Dr. Huanbin Xu is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Xu has been active and productive in the fields of immunology and infectious diseases after completion of specialized postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Tulane Medical School. His major scopes of research have involved germinal center responses, innate immunity, and viral reservoir establishment and how the epigenetic regulation contributes to these cell subsets and events in HIV infection. Currently, his focus is on 1) deciphering the impacts of pediatric HIV infection and early treatment on immune development and function in infants; 2) exploring curative strategies in relation to early interventions, HIV latency reactivation and HIV genome ablation by gene editing, and by in vivo delivery systems; 3) identifying HIV reservoir seeding and eradication; and 4) trained innate immunity in pediatric infectious diseases.

As an independent Principal Investigator, Dr. Xu has demonstrated his commitment to collaboration on several topics with extramural funding. Dr. Xu has published on several key topics in immunity to HIV/SIV infection and cure strategies, which have been featured in the Journal of Immunology, Mucosal Immunology and EBioMedicine. In addition, Dr. Xu is also reviewer for several NIH study sections, AD hoc reviewer for journals, editorial board of Scientific Reports and Frontiers.

Key Publications 

Ziani W, Shao J, Wang X, Russell-Lodrigue K, Liu Y, Montaner L, Veazey R and Xu H. Increased proviral DNA in circulating cells correlates with plasma viral rebound in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus macaques after antiretroviral therapy interruption. J Virol. 2021. DOI:10.1128/JVI.02064-20. PMID: 33408173 

Wang X, Xu H. Residual Proviral Reservoirs: A High Risk for HIV Persistence and Driving Forces for Viral Rebound after Analytical Treatment Interruption. Viruses. 2021. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02198-20. PMID: 33568508 

Xu H, Ziani, Shao JS, Doyle-Meyers LA, Russell-Lodrigue KE, Ratterree M, Veazey RS and Wang X. Impaired development and expansion of germinal center follicular T helper cells in SIV-infected neonatal macaques. J Immunol. 2018. 201(7): 1994-2003. PMID: 30104244 

Xu H, Wang X, Malam N, Aye PP, Alvarez X, Lackner AA and Veazey RS. Persistent SIV infection drives differentiation, aberrant accumulation, and latent infection of germinal center follicular T helper cells. J Virol. 2015. PMID: 26608323 

Xu H, Wang X, Liu DX, Rasmussen T, Lackner AA, Veazey RS. IL-17-producing innate lymphoid cells are restricted to mucosal tissues and are depleted in SIV-infected macaques. Mucosal Immunol. 2012. 5(6): 658-669. PMID: 22669579 

View Dr. Xu's publications on PubMed. 

Professional Awards

Award from Carol Lavin Bernick Foundation in LBGrant program, 2020

Outstanding Achievement and Commitment to Excellence In Total Competitive Research funding, Tulane University School of Medicine, 2015