December 2025: We received a grant from the Gates Foundation focused on developing A Self-Sampling System for Collection of Large Volumes of Plasma for Monitoring HIV Care. In collaboration with Dr. Ashleigh Theberge and Dr. Erwin Berthier from the University of Washington Chemistry Department, We will develop a platform for at-home self-collection of blood, serum separation, and sample stabilization at sufficient sample volumes for comprehensive HIV monitoring. An existing device for home blood collection will be expanded with the development of serum separation using a simple filtration system and connected to a standard blood collection tube with serum-stabilizing reagents. The device design will be optimized to ensure that over 1 mL of blood can be processed. The resulting design will then be tested for its effectiveness for RNA and protein analysis to monitor HIV viral load and biomarkers associated with HIV treatment and care. Performance of the device will be compared to standard blood processing, using blood from healthy volunteers spiked with either HIV RNA or C-reactive protein as a model biomarker. We envision a system that can readily integrate with standard laboratory or point-of-care diagnostic workflows to enable maximal deployability.
Picture of Filip Stefanovic holding a prototype blood stabilization device. Photo Credit: Dr. Lisa Hayward.
Photo of Dr. Lauren Brown with a wearable blood collection device. Photo Credit: Dr. Lisa Hayward.
December 2025: We just posted a preprint describing our work on adapting our enzymatic assay for measuring antiviral drugs to ganciclovir triphosphate – a drug used to treat cytomegalovirus infections in infants and immunocompromised people. We hope that this work enables routine therapeutic drug monitoring in CMV treatment and provides individualized care and improved outcomes. Here’s a presentation by lead author Willow Chernoske at the 26th International Workshop on Clinical Pharmacology of HIV, Hepatitis, and Other Antiviral Drugs in Amsterdam in September 2025.
