Among the genes encoded by HIV, Nef has been shown to be a primary determinant of viral pathogenicity. Patients infected with an attenuated strain of HIV, lacking a functional Nef, have displayed markedly slower progression towards AIDS. While at Cambridge, I intend to explore the role of Nef in HIV pathogenesis using an array of biochemical, cell biological, and genomic approaches. Hopefully, the findings of these studies will contribute to our understanding of HIV.