Professor in Surgery
Professor of Biochemistry
Member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute

About
Dr. Priyamvada Acharya is an Professor in Department of Surgery in the Duke University Medical Center and the Director of the Division of Structural Biology at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI). Dr. Acharya serves as the director of the NIH-funded Duke Center for HIV Structural Biology (DCHSB).
Dr. Acharya’s research uses cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and x-ray crystallography for visualizing the virus surface glycoproteins and their interactions with the host immune system. The major directions of her research include understanding the structural and mechanistic details of virus entry and to visualize interactions of viruses with the host immune system. Combining these two intersecting areas of basic research, in the Division of Structural Biology at DHVI and in the Duke Center for HIV Structural Biology, Dr. Acharya promotes a highly collaborative research environment to leverage atomic level findings for rational development of medical countermeasures against current and emerging viral pathogens.
Email: priyamvada.acharya[at]duke.edu
Mailing Address: DUMC Box 103020, Durham, NC 27710
Office: 10 Circuit Drive, Room 101, Research Park II, Durham, NC 27710 DUMC Box 103020, Durham, NC 27710
Grants
- Discovery and Optimization of Broadly Protective Merbecovirus Neutralizing Antibodies awarded by National Institutes of Health 2026 – 2031
- Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in AIDS awarded by National Institutes of Health 2010 – 2030
- Structural definition of CD4-induced HIV-1 Env conformational changes required for infection awarded by National Institutes of Health 2019 – 2030
- Dissecting the mechanisms of HIV resistance in vivo to broadly neutralizing antibodies awarded by University of Minnesota 2022 – 2027
- Duke Center for HIV Structural Biology awarded by National Institutes of Health 2022 – 2027
- SHIV/HIV Env-antibody coevolution as a molecular guide to V3 glycan targeted vaccine design awarded by University of Pennsylvania 2022 – 2027
- Structural and biophysical studies on natural SARS-CoV-2 variants awarded by National Institutes of Health 2022 – 2027
- Structural characterization of Fab-dimerized glycan-reactive antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 2021 – 2026
- Structure, dynamics and evolution of the HIV-1 Phe-43 cavity awarded by National Institutes of Health 2020 – 2022
- GH-VAP: Duke Antibody Dynamics Core Extension; INV-008612 Supplement awarded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2019 – 2022
- Coronavirus Vaccine Design awarded by State of North Carolina 2020 – 2021
- Studying the effect on HIV-1 Env structure and immune response to HIV-1 infection in mucosal fluids using Negative Stain Electron Microscopy awarded by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 2018 – 2019