The Dudek lab uses precise genetic engineering techniques in primary immune cells and hematopoietic stem cells to understand the virus-host cell interplay and innate immune control of viral replication. Our primary focus is using CRISPR/Cas9, in combination with viral vectors including lentivirus and AAV to interrogate early stages of HIV-1 infection. We aim to take advantage of natural human genetic variation to uncover how and why HIV-1 infection, immune control, and disease progression differ widely across patients by dissecting unique molecular mechanisms in the true target cells of infection, CD4+ T cells. We also use hematopoietic stem cell editing and differentiation techniques to generate novel primary cell models of infection to interrogate the T cell-innate immune cell interplay with other cell types such as natural killer, monocyte, and CD8+ T cells. Current projects in the lab include understanding how human genetic variation of TRIM family proteins influence HIV-1 replication in CD4+ T cells, as well as how genetic variation in HLA and NKG2 family proteins alter natural killer cell ability to control HIV-1 infection.