Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Respiratory tract infections, including epidemic and pandemic pathogens, remain a leading cause of death globally. While existing intramuscular vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death, they often do not offer complete or long-lasting protection against respiratory pathogens. Respiratory mucosal vaccines administered through the nose or lungs can effectively stimulate a protective immune response in the lungs, serving as the first line of defense against microbial invasion. However, these vaccines face challenges such as designing and delivering stable vaccine formulations, navigating pulmonary biological barriers, activating the immune system, and inducing mucosal immunity. My research program is dedicated to overcoming these obstacles. Our objective is to develop innovative respiratory mucosal vaccines targeting respiratory pathogens that pose a risk of severe infections, epidemics, and pandemics.