How early-life respiratory viruses shape a baby's immune development
Early life respiratory viral infections shape immune development trajectories
This project follows infants who had COVID-19 or the flu and healthy infants to learn how those early infections shape immune development over three years.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11326814 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your baby had COVID-19 or influenza, researchers will enroll them and follow their immune responses for three years alongside healthy infants with no such infections. The team will collect blood samples after infection and after routine vaccinations to track antibody levels and changes in immune cells over time. They will use advanced lab methods (including ATAC-seq) and antibody tests to see which parts of the immune system are activated and how immune memory forms. The studies compare patterns between babies who had SARS-CoV-2, those who had influenza, and healthy peers to chart different immune development paths.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are infants and young children (0–11 years) who had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 or influenza infections as infants, plus healthy infants without those infections for comparison.
Not a fit: People older than the enrolled age range or those without prior COVID-19 or influenza exposure likely would not benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide better vaccines and treatments for infants by revealing how first infections shape long-term immunity.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows early influenza infections can imprint the immune system and that COVID-19 is often milder in infants, but directly comparing long-term immune trajectories across these groups is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ramilo, Octavio — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Ramilo, Octavio
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.