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Fit for a Cure

Mathematical models can reveal important dynamics of HIV infection and treatment.

March 8, 2016

Computer-generated image of a human immune cell surrounded by HIV.

If researchers can better understand the infection, then clinicians might help more patients achieve a functional cure.

Sometimes the results of experiments are difficult to reconcile with one another. In medical studies, which are usually observational rather than experimental, this is often the case. But the numbers don’t lie, even if they don’t make sense.

A powerful way to reconcile data that seem to be at odds with each other is to use mathematical modeling. By creating complex mathematical models, researchers are gaining insight into some of the finer details of HIV infection and treatment.