We work across two distinct but closely related sub-groups to develop, evaluate and enhance vaccination strategies worldwide.

Clinical and epidemiology

This group is involved in Surveillance for pneumococcal disease and carriage in Mongolia, evaluating the effectiveness pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to reduce rates of invasive disease, radiologic pneumonia, carriage, and the cost-effectiveness of vaccination.

Immunology

One of the key questions the Vaccine Immunology group is addressing is the cellular basis of long-term immunity following pneumococcal and HPV vaccination, with a particular emphasis on B cell memory. We have completed studies in Fiji with an ongoing clinical trial in Vietnam designed to answer this question.

The laboratory evaluates pneumococcal vaccine immunogenicity using a range of WHO-recommended and internationally standardised methodologies. It is one of the few groups worldwide with the capacity to evaluate pneumococcal vaccine immunogenicity as part of large clinical trials to all serotypes in the currently available vaccines using WHO ELISA, multiplexed opsonophagocytosis and B cell assays.

Our research interests are in a variety of areas related to current and potential vaccines. The vaccines include Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccines (PCV), Human Papilloma Virus vaccines (HPV), Typhoid Conjugate vaccines (TCV) and potential vaccines for Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccines (RSV).