The fungus Cryptococcus neoformans causes a devastating form of meningitis, Cryptococcal meningitis (CM), that primarily affects patients with HIV, which suppresses patients’ immune systems. Use of anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy in the U.S. has reduced the risk that HIV-infected patients will develop CM. But CM continues to devastate patients where ARVs are not available and survival of patients with CM is only six months. Currently, there is no way to predict which HIV-infected patients will develop CM. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded a five-year, $3.1 million grant to Liise-anne Pirofski, M.D., to look for links between natural antibodies, B-cell responses to C. neoformans, and resistance to CM and develop a risk profile to identify patients most likely to develop CM. The findings could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat CM. Dr. Pirofski is professor of medicine and of microbiology & immunology, chief of infectious diseases at Einstein and Montefiore, and holds the Selma and Dr. Jacques Mitrani Chair in Biomedical Research. (1R01AI143453)