Dr. Joseph J. Eron, M.D.

Expert Publications

• Genotypic resistance and the treatment of HIV-1 infection in Espírito Santo, Brazil.
• The effect of Plasmodium falciparum malaria on HIV-1 RNA blood plasma concentration.
• Sexual transmission of HIV: infectiousness and prevention.
• Characterization of V3 sequence heterogeneity in subtype C human immunodeficiency virus type 1 isolates from Malawi: underrepresentation of X4 variants.
• Immune activation and plasma viral load in HIV-infected African individuals.
• Antiretroviral-drug concentrations in semen: implications for sexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
• Detectable HIV-1 RNA at levels below quantifiable limits by amplicor HIV-1 monitor is associated with virologic relapse on antiretroviral therapy.
• Prolonged therapy with the fusion inhibitor T-20 in combination with oral antiretroviral agents in an HIV-infected individual.
• Nucleoside analogues achieve high concentrations in seminal plasma: relationship between drug concentration and virus burden.
• Population pharmacokinetics of lamivudine in adult human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients enrolled in two phase III clinical trials.
• Emergence of dual resistance to zidovudine and lamivudine in HIV-1-infected
• Potent antiretroviral treatment of HIV-infection results in suppression of the
• Changing prevalence of oral manifestations of human immuno-deficiency virus in
• HIV-1 protease inhibitors.
• Simultaneous determination of lamivudine and zidovudine concentrations in human seminal plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.

Clinical Trials

• Pilot Trial of the Effect of Vorinostat and AGS-004 on Persistent HIV-1 Infection

Media Releases

Get to know Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Joseph J. Eron, who serves patients in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

A prominent infectious disease specialist, Dr. Eron is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at UNC Infectious Diseases at Eastowne – UNC Faculty Physicians Center at Eastowne. His clinical interests include HIV care, antiretroviral therapy, HIV resistance, and primary HIV infection.

He also holds many other titles, including Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Director of Clinical Core at the UNC Center for AIDS Research; Associate Director of the General Clinical Research Unit at UNC Health; Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Gillings School of Global Public Health; Vice Chair of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group; and Principal Investigator of the HIV/AIDS Clinical Research Unit at UNC-CH.

Having been part of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group since 1993, Dr. Eron has held multiple leadership positions including Chair of the Optimization of ART (OpART) Committee and the Cure Transformative Science Group. He is the Principal Investigator of the UNC Clinical Trials Unit with sites in Chapel Hill; Greensboro; Lilongwe, Malawi; and Hanoi, Vietnam. In addition, he is a leader of the UNC Acute HIV infection research team and is a collaborator in the UNC HIV Cure Initiative. 

Educated in the United States, Dr. Eron graduated with his undergraduate degree from Harpur College and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He subsequently completed his HIV training at Massachusetts General Hospital under Drs. Martin Hirsch and Richard D’Aquila, followed by his fellowship training in infectious diseases at the said establishment. 

The doctor is board-certified in infectious disease and internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

Over the last 15 years, Dr. Eron has led the development of the UNC HIV CFAR Clinic Cohort that includes over 5000 HIV infected individuals and has active collaboration and membership in the NA ACCORD and CNICS cohorts. 

Infectious disease is a medical specialty dealing with the prevention, the diagnosis, and the treatment of all infections. An infectious disease specialist’s practice also consists of managing nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections.

An expert in his field, Dr. Eron has over 400 publications in peer-reviewed journals focusing on antiretroviral therapy, resistance, pharmacology, transmission and HIV persistence, and disruption of latency. Recent work has included publications from the UNC CFAR HIV Clinical Cohort, the ACTG, HPTN and IAS-USA HIV treatment guidelines in JAMA 2020. 

Having worked extensively in the area of HIV drug development, Dr. Eron has led or participated in original studies of many antiretroviral therapies. He also continues as an active HIV and infectious disease clinician. He was awarded the HIVMA HIV Clinical Educator Award in 2013. 

Happily married, Dr. Eron lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and family. He has four daughters, three sons, and four grandchildren.

Recommended Articles

• What is involved in a COVID-19 test?

  Have you ever heard the notion that the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 can be confusing? Let us take for example having a runny nose. We all know that allergic rhinitis (a reaction to a certain allergen – like pollen, or the perfume of your seatmate) can cause colorless fluid to flow excessively....

• 5 Tips on Living with Cholera

  Cholera, an acute infection that is characterized by diarrhea, is caused by Vibrio cholerae. These are among the most common organisms found on water surfaces of the world. It is caused by the enterotoxin subunit-A of Vibrio cholerae.When living with cholera, one has to have the basic knowledge of...

• 5 Tips On Living with HIV

  HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus, is an infection that attacks the human being's defense system. When the infection gets into the body, it slowly destroys the immune system, leaving the body weak to various infections. As the virus continues to stay in the body, it develops from...

• Everything You Need to Know About the Zika Virus

  What is Zika virus?Zika virus (Flavivirus) isn`t a new virus, initially, it was found in Uganda and called after the place where the virus was first detected- Zika forest (1947). It is a mosquito-borne virus, which is transmitted from a particular species of infected insects (Aedes), the aggressive...

• Is Cholera Contagious?

  Is Cholera Contagious?Cholera is one of the most dangerous infections that has claimed the lives of many people especially people living in very poor environmental areas. These are areas where there is poor sanitation, poor ventilation, and dirty water. Most of the victims of cholera over many years...

• How is Lyme Disease Diagnosed?

  Lyme disease is primarily diagnosed through an analysis of the symptoms, although blood tests are also sometimes used.What to keep in mind when diagnosing Lyme diseaseThe bull’s eye rash is usually the most prominent symptom of Lyme’s disease, and a visualization of this rash is usually...