Predicting how long and how broadly flu vaccines protect people
Official title: Towards a predictive understanding of influenza immunity through experimental data integration, iterative model development, and rigorous assessment of model quality
Funded at La Jolla Institute for Immunology · NIH-11249679 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses immune and genetic data to predict how long and how broadly flu vaccines protect people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | La Jolla Institute for Immunology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | December 19, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,246,617 |
| NIH project number | 5U01AI187062-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249679 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who received seasonal influenza vaccines and are willing to provide blood samples, vaccination history, and basic health information are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are unwilling to provide blood or genetic samples, who have never had flu vaccines, or who cannot attend clinic visits are unlikely to be involved or directly helped by this project.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will combine existing flu vaccine datasets with new blood and genetic samples to measure immune cells and responses over time. They will build computer models that learn which immune and genetic features link to broader and longer-lasting vaccine protection. The team will host an annual public prediction contest to see how well models forecast vaccine outcomes on new data. Results will focus on markers that could indicate who might need different vaccine strategies or boosters.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help tailor flu vaccines and booster timing so people get longer and broader protection.
How similar studies have gone: Previous systems-immunology studies have identified immune markers linked to vaccine responses, but combining many datasets with an open prediction contest is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
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La Jolla Institute for Immunology
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peters, Bjoern — La Jolla Institute for Immunology
- Study coordinator: Peters, Bjoern
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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.