Dr. North is a biochemist with expertise in nucleate acid biochemistry, enzymology, molecular biology, microbiology, and pharmacology. His research focuses on antiviral therapy and mechanisms by which viruses become resistant to antiviral drugs. A major objective is to utilize this information to help develop improved strategies for chemotherapy of AIDS. His group has developed model systems for using simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and chimeras of SIV with the HIV reverse transcriptase (RT-SHIV). These models are being used for studies of viral resistance to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in monkeys, and to identify mechanisms of viral evasion of HAART through involvement of host factors. The goal of this work is to identify cell and tissue reservoirs of viral latency in the infected host, and sites of residual virus replication during HAART. Dr. North's alb is also working on novel entry inhibitors of HIV, and on development of monkey models for studies of anti-cytomegalovirus drugs.