Natalia Teleshova

Natalia Teleshova conducts research focusing on understanding mucosal HIV-1 infection with the goal to inform HIV-1 prevention strategies and leads preclinical testing of products, including multipurpose prevention technologies (MPT), that protect against HIV-1, other sexually transmitted infections, and/or pregnancy.

Dr. Teleshova’s laboratory led studies dissecting the role of sex hormones in mucosal HIV-1 infection and described menstrual cycle phase-associated changes in cervical mucosa transcriptome. Dr. Teleshova conducted preclinical testing of multiple candidate MPT products in vitro in mucosal tissue explant models assessing safety and activity (HIV-1, SHIV, HSV-2), and in vivo in nonhuman primates assessing safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Dr. Teleshova led exploratory analyses evaluating safety and pharmacodynamics of candidate products in Phase 1 clinical trials. Dr. Teleshova’s more recent preclinical testing work involves sexually transmitted bacterial pathogens.

Dr. Teleshova is a physician and immunologist by training. Dr. Teleshova earned her MD from Pavlov State Medical University in St. Petersburg, Russia, and her PhD from Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Dr. Teleshova conducted postdoctoral research at the Population Council and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Her postdoctoral research focused on the biology of HIV infection and its prevention through microbicides and vaccines.

Dr. Teleshova serves as a primary investigator or project co-lead on several NIH awards.

Dr. Teleshova is a member of the Population Council IRB and a member of the Board of Directors of the Population Council-Kenya (PC-Kenya).