Vaccine design to protect against future coronaviruses
Official title: Rational design of a unique vaccine for emerging pandemic coronaviruses
Funded at Georgia State University · NIH-11583041 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new vaccine concept aims to protect people by targeting multiple coronavirus lineages likely to cause future pandemics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $777,511 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AI188950-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11583041 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adults 21+ who receive vaccines in future trials, with no contraindications to vaccine testing.
✕Less likely to help
People with certain medical conditions or vaccine allergies may not benefit and could be excluded from participation.
What this research studies
This project focuses on creating a vaccine that could prevent infections from future coronavirus pandemics by targeting both major coronavirus lineages. It builds on prior work showing that vaccines using protein degradation pathways can boost strong T cell responses, which may enhance protection against diverse virus variants. The approach involves advanced design strategies to elicit broad immune responses beyond currently circulating strains. If successful, the vaccine could offer protection even when new coronaviruses emerge that differ from today’s strains.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the vaccine could provide broader and more durable protection against future coronavirus pandemics.
How similar studies have gone: Prior strategies that enhance T cell responses showed promising immune activation, but broad protection against future coronaviruses remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia State University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qiao, Liang — Georgia State University
- Study coordinator: Qiao, Liang
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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.