Infant and child immune responses to influenza and COVID-19
Official title: Project 2
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11507370 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will use tiny blood samples from infants, children, and adults to learn how their immune systems respond to influenza and COVID-19 infections and vaccines.
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 start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $661,461 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AI168632-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11507370 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Infants, young children, and adults who have had or will have influenza or COVID-19 infection or vaccination and who can provide small blood samples are the best fit.
✕Less likely to help
People without recent or planned infection/vaccination, or those unwilling or unable to provide blood samples, may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You may be asked to give a small blood sample so scientists can look at immune cells and their activity across different ages. The team will use advanced lab tests (like RNA sequencing, ATAC‑seq, and single‑cell immune profiling) to read gene activity and chromatin accessibility in those cells. They will compare infants, older children, and adults after infection or vaccination to find patterns that might explain why infants often have different outcomes. Results will be combined with computational analyses to map how the developing immune system reacts to these viruses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify why very young children respond differently to flu and COVID-19 and inform better vaccines or treatments for infants and children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous immune profiling studies have revealed age-related differences in virus responses, but combining ATAC‑seq and single‑cell integrative methods specifically in infants is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pascual, Maria Virginia — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Pascual, Maria Virginia
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.