Faculty profile

Colin Kovacs

Back to faculty

Assistant ProfessorDepartment of MedicineUniversity of Toronto

Colin Kovacs

Assistant Professor

Department of Medicine

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Professors usually supervise graduate students in their department's programs.
11 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.

These signals come from public records, including federal and provincial funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

2,810

Citations

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

Profiles and links

University Profile

Search on Google Scholar

Search on ResearchGate

OpenAlex

Find them onX · LinkedIn · Bluesky · YouTube

Signals and details

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Toronto profile.

Latest papers

Uptake of Influenza, Pneumococcal, and COVID-19 Vaccines Among People Living with HIV: Findings from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study
AIDS and Behavior · 2026
5' leader defects drive persistent HIV-1 viremia on long-term ART.
Nature communications · 2026
Dynamic antigen expression and cytotoxic T cell resistance in HIV reservoir clones.
Nature · 2026

All 54 publications

Latest funding

Persistent Low-Level HIV Viremia During Antiretroviral Therapy: Origins and Clinical Consequences
CIHR · 2024 · Co-investigator
$1,147,500
Targeted Therapeutics for HIV-1 Cure
CIHR · 2024 · Co-investigator
$2,000,000
Packing HIV-like particles with a punch for a cure
CIHR · 2024 · Co-investigator
$200,000

All 9 grants and awards

54 publications.

Uptake of Influenza, Pneumococcal, and COVID-19 Vaccines Among People Living with HIV: Findings from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study

Chambers C, Bekele T, Grewal R, Kovacs C, Mbuagbaw L, Ndung’u M, Record D, Wilson SE, Kroch A, Burchell AN

AIDS and Behavior2026

DOI: 10.1007/s10461-026-05237-9

5' leader defects drive persistent HIV-1 viremia on long-term ART.

Box JR, Camilo-Contreras A, Dragoni F, Yue FY, Matveev V, Foley J, Zhang J, Mok YW, DeSousa M, Lai J, Mulcare Z, Bakewell Z, Poulin S, Chano F, Fortin C, Tremblay C, Blankson JN, Krishnan S, Weld ED, Basseth C, Hamill MM, Hoffmann CJ, Scully EP, Jones JL, Cox AL, El Atrouni W, Sha B, Siliciano JD, Siliciano RF, Reinhard R, Gunst JD, Ostrowski M, Maldarelli F, Kovacs C, Simonetti FR

Nature communications2026Open Access

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-73475-5 PMID: 42259781

Dynamic antigen expression and cytotoxic T cell resistance in HIV reservoir clones.

Ferreira IATM, Herrera A, Huynh TT, Stone E, Linden NL, Ovies C, Ren Y, Bittar C, Pal VK, Naing E, Sinha P, Danesh A, Stevenson E, Vedova S, Liu F, Leyre L, Shea S, Wells E, Miller IG, Canis M, Teixeira AR, Moir S, Chun TW, Kovacs C, Gastonguay MS, Hill AL, Genel S, Zumbo P, Betel D, Halvas EK, Lee GQ, Scheck R, Caskey M, Bieniasz PD, Board NL, Nussenzweig MC, Jones RB

Nature2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10298-w PMID: 41735521

HIV Nef amplifies mechanical heterogeneity to promote immune evasion.

Leyre L, Mustapha F, Herrera A, Lee E, Huntsman E, Zumbo P, Weiler J, Sinha P, Naing E, Smith C, Kovacs C, Galiano M, Wahman N, Betel D, Clayton KL, Huse M, Jones RB

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2025

DOI: 10.64898/2025.12.24.696400 PMID: 41509268

EZH2 inhibition mitigates HIV immune evasion, reduces reservoir formation, and promotes skewing of CD8+ T cells toward less-exhausted phenotypes.

Gramatica A, Miller IG, Ward AR, Khan F, Kemmer TJ, Weiler J, Huynh TT, Zumbo P, Kurland AP, Leyre L, Ren Y, Klevorn T, Copertino DC, Chukwukere U, Levinger C, Dilling TR, Linden N, Board NL, Falling Iversen E, Terry S, Mota TM, Bedir S, Clayton KL, Bosque A, MacLaren Ehui L, Kovacs C, Betel D, Johnson JR, Paiardini M, Danesh A, Jones RB

Cell reports2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115652 PMID: 40333189

Effective and targeted latency reversal in CD4 + T cells from individuals on long term combined antiretroviral therapy initiated during chronic HIV-1 infection

Minh Ha Ngo, Joshua Pankrac, Ryan C. Y. Ho, Emmanuel Ndashimye, Rahul Pawa, Renata Ceccacci, Tsigereda Biru, Abayomi S. Olabode, Katja Klein, Yue Li, Colin M Kovacs, Robert Assad, Jeffrey M. Jacobson, David H. Canaday, Stephen Tomusange, Samiri Jamiru, Aggrey Anok, Taddeo Kityamuweesi, Paul Buule, Ronald Moses Galiwango, Steven James Reynolds, Thomas C. Quinn, Andrew D. Redd, Jessica L. Prodger, Jamie F. S. Mann, Eric J. Arts

Emerging Microbes & Infections20246 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2327371 PMID: 38444369

Sex differences in COVID-19 vaccine confidence in people living with HIV in Canada.

Lu J, Vulesevic B, Burchell AN, Singer J, Needham J, Yang Y, Qian H, Chambers C, Samji H, Colmegna I, Del Canto S, Godin GH, Habanyama M, Hui SSC, Kroch A, Mandarino E, Margolese S, Martin C, Owino M, Lau E, Mohammadi T, Zhang W, Pelaez S, Kovacs C, Benko E, Cooper CL, Anis AH, Costiniuk CT, COVAXHIV Study Group

Vaccine: X20245 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100566 PMID: 39582795

Correlates of Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infections in People with HIV: Results from the CIHR CTN 328 Study.

Costiniuk CT, Lee T, Singer J, Galipeau Y, Arnold C, Langlois MA, Needham J, Jenabian MA, Burchell AN, Samji H, Chambers C, Walmsley S, Ostrowski M, Kovacs C, Tan DHS, Harris M, Hull M, Brumme ZL, Lapointe HR, Brockman MA, Margolese S, Mandarino E, Samarani S, Lebouché B, Angel JB, Routy JP, Cooper CL, Anis AH, COVAXHIV Study Group

Vaccines20243 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050447 PMID: 38793698

Immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines and their effect on HIV reservoir in older people with HIV.

Matveev VA, Mihelic EZ, Benko E, Budylowski P, Grocott S, Lee T, Korosec CS, Colwill K, Stephenson H, Law R, Ward LA, Sheikh-Mohamed S, Mailhot G, Delgado-Brand M, Pasculescu A, Wang JH, Qi F, Tursun T, Kardava L, Chau S, Samaan P, Imran A, Copertino DC, Chao G, Choi Y, Reinhard RJ, Kaul R, Heffernan JM, Jones RB, Chun TW, Moir S, Singer J, Gommerman J, Gingras AC, Kovacs C, Ostrowski M

iScience202330 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107915 PMID: 37790281

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in People Living with HIV: A pan-Canadian Survey.

Costiniuk CT, Singer J, Needham J, Yang Y, Qian H, Chambers C, Burchell AN, Samji H, Colmegna I, Del Canto S, Godin GH, Habanyama M, Hui C, Kroch A, Mandarino E, Margolese S, Martin C, Owino M, Mohammadi T, Zhang W, Pelaez S, Kovacs C, Benko E, Vulesevic B, Cooper CL, Anis AH

AIDS and behavior202316 citationsOpen Access

DOI: 10.1007/s10461-023-03991-8 PMID: 36738344

Persistent Low-Level HIV Viremia During Antiretroviral Therapy: Origins and Clinical Consequences

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Lima, Viviane D; Brumme, Zabrina

Keywords: Antiretroviral Treatment; Clinical Outcomes; Epidemiology; Hiv; Reservoir; Treatment Guidelines; Viral Load

$1,147,500

Targeted Therapeutics for HIV-1 Cure

Co-investigatorCIHR2024TG: Biomedical Res. for HIV/AIDS and STBBI-Next-Gen. Therapeutic Interventions

Principal investigators: Arts, Eric J; Walmsley, Sharon L; Dikeakos, Dimitrios J; Lavender, Kerry J

Keywords: Cure; Hiv-1; Humanized Mice; Marginalized Populations; Therapeutic

$2,000,000

Packing HIV-like particles with a punch for a cure

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Ca. Gr.: Biomedical Res. for HIV/AIDS/STBBI -Next-gen. therapeutic interventions

Principal investigators: Arts, Eric J

Keywords: Cure; Hiv-1; Rna Adjuvant; Therapeutic

$200,000

Discovering immune pathways to successful aging in HIV infection

Co-investigatorCIHR2017Team Grant: HIV/AIDS Comorbidities Prevention and Healthy Living - LOI

Principal investigators: Durand, Madeleine; Margolese, Shari L; Bernard, Nicole F; Chartrand-Lefebvre, Carl; Chomont, Nicolas; Jenabian, Mohammad-Ali; Mansour, Samer; Tremblay, Cécile L; Tsoukas, Christos M

Keywords: Cardiovascular; Cohort Study; Frailty; Hiv; Immunology; Viral Reservoirs

$25,000

HIV Prevention, Risk Perceptions, Behaviours, and Health Care Access Among Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Context of Changing Social-Historical, Messaging, and Socio-Sexual Environments

Co-investigatorCIHR2014Team Grant: Boys' and Men's Health - LOI

Principal investigators: Brennan, David; Jollimore, Jody; Li, Alan T; McEwen, Owen J; Visser, Florentius; Adam, Barry D; Crath, Rory D; Gahagan, Jacqueline C; Gilbert, Mark P; Lachowsky, Nathan J; McCready, Lance T; Oliver, Brent W

Keywords: Gay And Bisexual Men'S Health; Hiv/Aids; Men Who Have Sex With Men; Mixed Method Design; Sexual Health; Social Determinants Of Helth

$9,981

CIHR Centre for REACH in HIV/AIDS

Co-investigatorCIHR2013Centres for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and other STBBIs Research

Principal investigators: Rourke, Sean B; Bacon, Jean; Jones, Jennifer E; Mcgee, Frank; Monteith, Kenneth M; Panessa, Ciro; Plourde, Pierre; Tharao, Wangari E; Visser, Florentius; Wong, Thomas; Adam, Barry D; Becker, Marissa; Gahagan, Jacqueline C; Garber, Gary E; Gill, Michael J; Husbands, Winston C; Ibanez-Carrasco, Francisco; Jackson, Lois A; Kirkland, Susan A; Krentz, Hartmut; Mignone, Javier J; Otis, Joanne; Worthington, Catherine A

Keywords: Evaluation; Hiv/Aids; Interdisciplinary Network; Knoweldge Transfer And Exchange; Population Health; Program Science; Social Determinants Of Health

$4,773,240

Screening for HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders: Evaluation and Clinical Application

Co-investigatorCIHR2012Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Rourke, Sean B

Keywords: Evaluation; Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders; Hiv/Aids; Neurocognitive Impairment; Screening Tools

$341,540

Can intensified anti-retroviral therapy during acute/early HIV-1 infection reduce and/or eliminate viral reservoirs in HIV-1 infected individuals?

Co-investigatorCIHR2010Operating Grant - PA: HIV/AIDS Research Initiative - Biomedical/Clinical Stream

Principal investigators: Ostrowski, Mario A

Keywords: Acute Hiv Infection; Aids; Haart; Hiv Infection; Maraviroc; Progression; Raltegravir; Randomized Trial; Treatment; Viral Reservoirs

$343,697

Understanding virological and host determinants of HIV disease progression in a cohort of slow progressors

Co-investigatorCIHR2008Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Tremblay, Cécile L; Bernard, Nicole F

Keywords: Envelope; Hiv-1; Host Factors; Immune Escape; Long-Term Non Progressor; Long-Term Survivor; Nef; Recombination; Sequencing; Superinfection; Transmission; Viral Diversity; Viral Evolution

$983,939

From public funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998 with their latest competition results, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Genome Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, Canada Research Chairs, the Fonds de recherche du Québec, Ontario research funding, Michael Smith Health Research BC, the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart & Stroke and Brain Canada.

Profile data last refreshed on September 29, 2026 from the university directory, publication records and public research funding records.

Something wrong or missing on this profile? Suggest a correction

Colin Kovacs

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Uptake of Influenza, Pneumococcal, and COVID-19 Vaccines Among People Living with HIV: Findings from the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study

5' leader defects drive persistent HIV-1 viremia on long-term ART.

Dynamic antigen expression and cytotoxic T cell resistance in HIV reservoir clones.

HIV Nef amplifies mechanical heterogeneity to promote immune evasion.

EZH2 inhibition mitigates HIV immune evasion, reduces reservoir formation, and promotes skewing of CD8+ T cells toward less-exhausted phenotypes.

Effective and targeted latency reversal in CD4 + T cells from individuals on long term combined antiretroviral therapy initiated during chronic HIV-1 infection

Sex differences in COVID-19 vaccine confidence in people living with HIV in Canada.

Correlates of Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infections in People with HIV: Results from the CIHR CTN 328 Study.

Immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines and their effect on HIV reservoir in older people with HIV.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in People Living with HIV: A pan-Canadian Survey.

Frequent collaborators

Mario Ostrowski

Rupert Kaul

Prameet Sheth

Mona Loutfy

Gabor Kandel

Kelly MacDonald

Tony Mazzulli

Janet Raboud

Ali Sakhdari

Catharine Chambers

Abigail Kroch

Cecilia Costiniuk

David Wong

Jennifer Gommerman

Shari Margolese

Hasina Samji

Aslam Anis

Curtis Cooper

Zabrina Brumme

Mark Brockman

Claude Fortin