Impact of early-life malaria exposures on vaccine protection in Kenyan infants
Official title: Impact of early-life pathogen exposures on pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine effectiveness in Kenyan infants
Funded at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru · NIH-11570690 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant tests how early malaria exposures affect how well malaria vaccines work in young children in Kenya.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $245,565 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI189783-02S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11570690 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are infants and young children aged 0-11 years living in malaria-endemic areas who are receiving RTS,S or R21 vaccines.
✕Less likely to help
Children not receiving malaria vaccines or not in malaria-endemic settings may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
The study focuses on infants and young children in Kenya to understand why RTS,S and R21 vaccines protect some kids better than others. Researchers will observe immune responses and antibody production after vaccination in real-world settings with natural malaria exposure. The project will follow participants over time to see how early exposures influence vaccine durability and effectiveness. Results could guide vaccination timing and strategies to maximize protection in high-risk areas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help tailor malaria vaccination strategies to improve protection for children in endemic regions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows variable vaccine protection in real-world settings; this study builds on that by focusing on early-life exposures.
Where this research is happening
-
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dobbs, Katherine Rose — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Dobbs, Katherine Rose
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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.