Katharine J Bar, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
Attending Physician, Infectious Diseases, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Physician, International Travel Medicine Clinic, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
Director, Penn CFAR Viral and Molecular Core
Department: Medicine
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
502 D Johnson Pavilion
3610 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6073
3610 Hamilton Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6073
Office: (215) 573-8497
Fax: (215) 349-5111
Fax: (215) 349-5111
Email:
bark@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
bark@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Education:
BA (Biochemistry and African History, Honors)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1997.
MD
University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 2002.
Permanent linkBA (Biochemistry and African History, Honors)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1997.
MD
University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 2002.
Description of Clinical Expertise
HIV care, general infectious disease careDescription of Research Expertise
The Bar Lab studies novel approaches to HIV prevention and cure. Our current research focuses on:(i) characterizing the viral dynamics and host immune responses during virus suppression and treatment interruption,
(ii) developing NHP models that faithfully recapitulate HIV-1 latency and rebound, and
(iii) developing antibody-based interventions.
Selected Publications
Murphy T, Kelly M, Shimagaki KS, DeStefanis T, Galeotos G, Lee M, Wei Q, Novak J, Bar KJ, Barton JP, Lynch RM.: Dual Role of Glycosylation in Resistance to CD4-binding Site Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies. J Virol Mar 2026.Pache L, Bui JK, Klouser LM, Fennessey CM, Noyola AC, Einhaus T, Zhu H, Stensland L, Leguizamo I, Koroma AA, Teriete P, Chang WLW, Hyrien O, Duggan NN, Heimann D, Pérez-Osorio AC, Bar KJ, Cosford ND, Keele BF, Hartigan-O'Connor DJ, Farzan M, Gardner MR, Jerome KR, Chanda SK, Kiem HP, Peterson CW. : Smac mimetic combined with eCD4-Ig reverses latency without reducing SHIV reservoirs in rhesus macaques. J Clin Invest 136((6):e187961), Mar 2026.
Ndung'u T, Dong KL, Colby DJ, Deeks SG, Cotton MF, Dubé K, Goulder PJ, Julg B, Nsubuga M, Ajibola G, Bar KJ, Bengu N, Bwakura-Dangarembizi M, Caskey M, Cromhout G, Kekitiinwa AR, Kilembe W, Kuhn L, Likhitwonnawut U, Mgodi NM, Persaud D, Peluso MJ, Rasmussen TA, Romo M, Sacdalan C, Samaneka W, Shapiro R, Søgaard OS, Tudor-Williams G, Wambui C, Tressler R, Lewin SR, Crowell TA, Kasprowicz VO, Trautmann L.: 2nd ATI Consensus Workshop. Recommendations from the 2nd Consensus Workshop on Analytical Treatment Interruption in HIV Research Trials. Lancet HIV S2352-3018(25): 00373-X, Feb 2026.
Murray J, Einhaus T, Radtke S, Bar KJ, Peterson CW, Kiem HP. : Engraftment of gene-edited hematopoietic stem cells after antibody-drug conjugate conditioning in nonhuman primates. Blood Adv 10(4): 1094-1105, Feb 2026.
Taiwo BO, Zheng Y, Rodriguez K, Burke L, Reeves JD, Scarsi KK, Gama L, Petropoulos CJ, Belaunzaran-Zamudio PF, Wannamaker P, D'Amico R, Rathod P, Bar KJ, Tebas P; A5357 Study Team. : Phase 2 Trial of Long-Acting Cabotegravir and VRC07-523LS for Viral Suppression in Adults With HIV-1: ACTG A5357. Clin Infect Dis 82(1): 100-108, Feb 2026.
Habib R, Roark RS, Li H, Connell AJ, Hogarty MP, Wagh K, Wang S, Marchitto L, Skelly AN, Carey JW, Sowers KJ, Ayyanathan K, Plante SJ, Bibollet-Ruche F, Park Y, Agostino CJ, Singh A, Martella CL, Lewis E, Rando JM, Chohan N, Lora J, Ding W, Campion MS, Zhao C, Liu W, Li Y, Li X, Liang B, Chowdhury RR, Amereh K, Van Itallie E, Sheng Z, Ghosh AR, Bar KJ, Williams WB, Wiehe K, Saunders KO, Edwards RJ, Cain DW, Lewis MG, Batista FD, Burton DR, Andrabi R, Kulp DW, Haynes BF, Korber B, Shapiro L, Kwong PD, Hahn BH, Shaw GM.: Env-antibody coevolution identifies B cell priming as the principal bottleneck to HIV V2 apex broadly neutralizing antibody development. Sci Immunol 11(116): eadz3933, Feb 2026.
Smith NM, Ho BM, Bar KJ, Gama L, Dziubla G, Koup RA, Pensiero M, Serebryannyy L, Caskey M, Wilkin TJ, Wood TD, Morse GD, Venuto CS, Cha R, Ma Q.: Enhanced Clearance of HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibody VRC07-523-LS During Viremia: Influences on Trial Design and Analysis. Clin Transl Sci 19(2): e70488, Feb 2026.
Podgorski RM, Yarmahmoodi A, Baak S, Warfield R, Robinson JA, Roof J, Caocci M, Fazelinia H, Spruce LA, Bar KJ, Burdo TH.: SHIV.D Infection Alters Production and Protein Composition of Myeloid-Derived Extracellular Vesicles. Int J Mol Sci 27(2): 966, Jan 2026.
Pampena MB, Samer S, Viox EG, Nguyen K, Deleage C, Kuri-Cervantes L, Regan J, Wu VH, Docken S, Safrit JT, Bar KJ, Keele BF, Davenport MP, Paiardini M, Betts MR. : Therapeutic CD8+ T cell tissue retention and immunomodulation during ART interruption fail to prevent SIV rebound. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 122(33), Aug 2025.
Karuna S, Laher F, Dadabhai S, Yu PC, Grove D, Orrell C, Makhema J, Hosseinipour MC, Mathew CA, Brumskine W, Mgodi N, Andrew P, Gama L, Karg C, Broder G, Baepanye K, Lucas J, Andrasik M, Takuva S, Villaran M, Takalani A, Tressler R, Soto-Torres L, Woodward Davis AS, Dhai A, Sanne IM, Cohen MS, Corey L, Gray G, deCamp AC, Bar KJ: Analytical treatment interruption among women with HIV in southern Africa who received VRC01 or placebo in the Antibody Mediated Prevention Study: ATI stakeholder engagement, implementation and early clinical data. J Int AIDS Soc 28(6): e26495, June 2025.