Transmissible vaccines: a mathematical approach to stop diseases at animal reservoirs
Official title: A Mathematical Theory of Transmissible Vaccines
Funded at University of Idaho · NIH-11402539 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are building math models to guide how a vaccine that can spread between animals might protect people from diseases that jump from animals to humans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Idaho NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Moscow, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2016 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $239,682 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM122079-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402539 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable at this stage; this is a modeling and preclinical study in animal systems with potential future human relevance.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not immediate; the study does not enroll people at this stage.
What this research studies
This project creates mathematical models to understand how a transmissible vaccine could move through animal populations, stimulate immunity to a target pathogen, and remain effective over time. Using lab studies with murine cytomegalovirus as a test backbone, the team will connect how vaccine replication and the host immune response shape transmission and protection. The goal is to predict real-world performance so vaccines could be designed to reach remote animal reservoirs where direct vaccination is hard. Results could inform future vaccine design for preventing spillover of pathogens from animals to humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to vaccines that naturally spread through animal populations, reducing spillover and protecting human health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has explored transmissible vaccines conceptually and in animal models, with varying degrees of success and ongoing debate.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Idaho
Moscow, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nuismer, Scott L — University of Idaho
- Study coordinator: Nuismer, Scott L
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.