James L. Riley

Dr. James L. Riley is a Professor of Microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an expert in cell biology and the therapeutic use of primary human T cells. Over the past 23 years, his lab at the University of Pennsylvania has developed a number of T cell–based therapies for the treatment of HIV, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. He is currently leading a Beyond HAART initiative that, among other studies, proposes to infuse HIV resistant CD4 T cells.

Dr. Riley also co-leads a Martin Delaney Collaboratory (BEAT-HIV) that is proposing combination immunotherapy to cure HIV. As an officer in the U.S. Army, he received postdoctoral training in Dr. Carl June’s laboratory, where he developed an interest in T cell signaling pathways and therapeutic uses of primary human T cells. Dr. Riley graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BS in Molecular Biology, studying Dictyostelium discoideum, and subsequently earned his PhD from Emory University in Dr. Jeremy Boss’ laboratory, studying the gene regulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex class II genes.