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CERI › Research Focus Areas › Immunology
03

Immune
Response
Research

Immunology

Investigating how the human immune system responds to infectious diseases, vaccines, and emerging pathogens — providing insights essential for developing diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines suited to African populations.

Immune Activation Vaccine Response Inflammation Diagnostics African Populations
Immune Response Dashboard
Research Active
Innate Immunity
First Response
Adaptive Immunity
T & B Cells
Vaccine Response
Antibody Titres
Inflammation
Cytokine Profiling
HIV Immune Profiling
91%
COVID-19 Responses
88%
Vaccine Immunogenicity
82%
15K+
Samples Profiled
20+
Studies Active
150+
Publications
// Research Focus

What the Team
Investigates

FOCUS · 01
Immune Activation & Protection

Characterising innate and adaptive immune responses to infectious diseases to identify correlates of protection and vulnerability in African populations.

T Cells B Cells NK Cells
FOCUS · 02
Vaccine Immunogenicity

Evaluating antibody responses, T cell activation, and immune memory following vaccination to inform vaccine development and deployment strategies.

Antibody Titres Neutralisation Memory
FOCUS · 03
Inflammation & Immunopathology

Investigating inflammatory pathways and cytokine profiles in severe infectious disease to identify targets for therapeutic intervention.

Cytokines Biomarkers Inflammation
FOCUS · 04
Diagnostics Development

Using immunological insights to develop and validate rapid diagnostic tools and serological assays suited to African health systems.

Serology Rapid Tests Validation
FOCUS · 05
Host Genetic Factors

Examining how host genetic variation influences immune responses to pathogens and vaccines in diverse African populations.

HLA Typing GWAS Population Genetics
FOCUS · 06
Africa-Led Innovation

Driving African-led immunology research and building local capacity to develop therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics tailored to the continent.

Capacity Building Translation Innovation
// Research Workflow

From Sample
to Insight

STEP · 01
Sample Collection

Blood, serum, and tissue samples collected from clinical cohorts, vaccine trial participants, and community surveillance programmes.

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STEP · 02
Immunological Assays

Flow cytometry, ELISA, neutralisation assays, and multiplex cytokine profiling to characterise immune responses in detail.

→
STEP · 03
Cellular & Molecular Analysis

Deep phenotyping of immune cell subsets and transcriptomic profiling to understand mechanistic drivers of protection or disease.

→
STEP · 04
Data Integration

Integrating immunological findings with genomic, clinical, and epidemiological data for comprehensive disease understanding.

→
STEP · 05
Clinical Translation

Translating findings into diagnostic tools, therapeutic targets, vaccine candidates, and evidence-based clinical guidelines.

Key Research Areas

Diseases &
Immune Studies

HIV / AIDS Immune Correlates & Reservoir Studies
Profiling immune responses to HIV, studying viral reservoirs, and identifying immunological correlates that inform cure and vaccine strategies.
Active
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine & Infection Immune Responses
Characterising antibody and T cell responses to COVID-19 vaccines and natural infection across diverse African populations.
Active
Tuberculosis Host Immune Response & Susceptibility
Investigating why some individuals develop active TB while others maintain latent infection — with implications for vaccine and therapeutic development.
Active
Mpox & Emerging Viruses Innate & Adaptive Responses
Early immunological characterisation of responses to mpox and other emerging viruses to inform therapeutic and vaccine countermeasures.
Emerging
Vaccine Trials Immunogenicity & Safety Assessment
Immunological monitoring of clinical vaccine trials across Africa to assess immunogenicity, durability, and immune safety profiles.
Active
// Working With

Research &
Partner Network

Genomics Unit

Integrating genomic sequencing with immunological profiling to link pathogen variants with host immune outcomes.

CERI Lab

Running flow cytometry, serology, and immunological assays to support research across all disease areas.

Clinical Partners

Collaborating with hospitals and clinical networks to access patient cohorts and translate findings into clinical practice.

Global Vaccine Networks

Contributing immunological data to international vaccine evaluation consortia including WHO, IAVI, and HVTN.

// The People

Meet the
Team

// Research Output

Latest
Publications

No publications found.