James I. Mullins

Dr. Mullins obtained his Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota in 1978. He did postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology before becoming Assistant then Associate Professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health. In 1989 he moved to Stanford University as Professor and was Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology from 1991 until his move to the University of Washington in 1994 where he was on the faculty of the Departments of Microbiology, Medicine, Laboratory Medicine and Global Health until his retirement in 2025. He served as Chair of Microbiology from 1997-2002. Dr. Mullins has published more than 460 original articles, reviews and book chapters to date on the topics of retroviruses and AIDS and has delivered 359 invited seminars and symposium presentations.

The Mullins lab used the techniques of molecular and computational biology to provide basic insights into the HIV-human host relationship in an effort to assist the fight to stop the AIDS pandemic. They used a variety of techniques to understand the implications of HIV's extraordinary genetic diversity for the pathogenesis of AIDS, with the intention of applying this information to the development of more effective therapies and vaccines. Dr. Mullins’ work continues in conjunction with the HIV Vaccine Trials Network at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.