Neha Arun

Neha Arun is a Microbiology PhD candidate and Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA (F31) Fellow in the lab of Dr. Walther Mothes at Yale University.

Her research focuses on broadly reactive strategies to eliminate the persistent reservoir of HIV-1-infected cells, which remains a major barrier to a cure. She investigates how antibodies recognizing the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) engage Fc-receptors on innate immune cells to trigger the clearance of infected cells. By examining the molecular features that initiate Fc-effector functions across different immune cell types, her work seeks to inform therapeutic strategies that optimize viral reservoir elimination.

Prior to joining Yale, Neha was a Stamps Scholar at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She graduated summa cum laude in 2023 with a BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology, receiving Highest Distinction for her thesis, “Structural and biochemical mechanisms of HIV latency reactivation in monocytes, macrophages, and T-cells,” in the lab of Dr. Collin Kieffer. Her research is driven by a long-term commitment to developing accessible antiviral strategies by interrogating the virus-host interface.