The College of American Pathologists-accredited laboratory of the Department of Retrovirology consists of two laboratories: AFRIMS Retrovirology Clinical Laboratory and Specimen Processing Laboratory, which are located at the HIV Vaccine Research Center of Excellence. Certified in 2002, it was the first Thai laboratory which was accredited by CAP. In addition, it has been certified by the U.S. DoD Clinical Laboratory Improvement Program and the Division of AIDS within the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since year 2010. The laboratory operations include quality assurance and quality control systems in compliance of the good clinical laboratory practices and other international standards.

The AFRIMS Retrovirology Clinical Laboratory performs various validated diagnostic assays including hematology, clinical chemistry, lymphocyte subsets enumeration (CD4/CD8 counts), HIV testing (antibody to HIV, qualitative and quantitative HIV RNA), hepatitis B and C serology, sexual transmitted infectious testing (syphilis, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and urinalysis, supporting HIV and emerging infectious diseases clinical trials. Furthermore, the ARCL is a certified SARS-CoV-2 testing laboratory by the Department of Medical Sciences, Thai Ministry of Public Health. The ARCL has participated both national and international external quality assessment schemes (Thai National Schemes for antibody to HIV and SARS-CoV-2, CAP Proficiency Testing Program, United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Schemes) to maintain the highest levels of its laboratory testing performance.

The Specimen Processing Laboratory is responsible for transporting and processing various types of specimens including blood, leukapheresis, nasal and throat swabs, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and anogenital secretions. The laboratory has supported many clinical trials that mainly investigate human immune responses to candidate vaccine or pathogens. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from clinical samples are important for those investigations. SPL-B has high levels of performance on PBMCs isolation and storage. Its performance is met the requirements of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group. The SPL-B has participated the Immunology Quality Assessment for PBMC Cryopreservation and Leukapheresis Near-Time Cryopreservation provided by Duke University School of Medicine.