Following completion of her postdoctoral training, Dr. Haigwood spent 17 years in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector, principally at Chiron Corporation (Novartis) in Emeryville, California, and at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute in Seattle, Washington.  From 1994-2007, she was a Professor of Microbiology and Pathobiology at the University of Washington and Member at the Center for Infectious Disease Research, both in Seattle. Since 1986, her research has been primarily on HIV and AIDS using nonhuman primate models, with a focus on vaccine discovery and the use of HIV neutralizing antibodies to treat infants exposed to HIV. She was recruited to OHSU in 2007 to become the fifth director of the Oregon National Primate Research Center and a Professor of Pathobiology & Immunology, where she served 15 years and continues to lead a highly funded research program. Dr. Haigwood served for many years as a volunteer board member for the local AIDS service organization in Portland, the Cascade AIDS Project. She is an advocate for science education and outreach to the public and serves as the steering committee chair for the U.S. Animal Research Openness Initiative.