Trained immunity: using controlled human infection to study non-specific beneficial effects of vaccination

This is an exciting opportunity to work in vaccine development at LSTM. You will be integrated into a dynamic team with a diverse research portfolio, supported by strategic collaborations with world-leading academic (Oxford) and industrial institutions. This project will work towards improving our understanding of how vaccination can confer non-specific beneficial effects. We will work to understand how favourable immune responses may be generated with both specific and non-specific beneficial impact - potentially leading to the development of novel adjuvant formulations and the optimisation of vaccine scheduling. We will study a variety of bacterial and viral pathogens of clinical significance, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella enterica, SARS, MERS, and RSV. Projects will utilise ex vivo human models of infection, advanced analytical techniques (flow cytometry and confocal microscopy), and systems biology to assess the immunomodulatory impact of controlled human infection and vaccination. Projects will be tailored to the candidate and provide opportunity for industry training and overseas placement.