Mission
The Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research conducts fundamental research on how the body successfully reacts to vaccines and battles infections and conversely, how infectious pathogens escape immune surveillance.
Overview
Modern medicine has made tremendous strides in fighting infectious diseases, but there is much more work to be done. Every year, influenza strikes millions of people, many of them fatally. Whooping cough and measles have made a comeback as the number of people who refuse to vaccinate their children grows. One third of the world’s population is infected with latent tuberculosis. Without treatment, about 5 to 10 percent of infected people will develop TB disease at some time in their lives.
Coronavirus Taskforce
Meanwhile, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is sweeping the globe, taking the lives of hundreds of thousands. La Jolla Institute, one of the leading global organizations dedicated to studying the immune system, is stepping up to provide much needed information and real solutions for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We have launched a multi-lab Coronavirus Taskforce that capitalizes on our competitive advantages of unique skill in infectious disease research, state-of-the-art technology and highly collaborative organization to respond to the current crisis and prepare for future emerging diseases. Our other work on HIV, Ebola, Dengue, Zika, and Cytomegalovirus are further laying the groundwork for developing vaccines for these serious infections.
THE VISIONARIES
LIFE WITHOUT DISEASE
The 30-minutes documentary “Life without Disease” by The Visionaries, an award-winning public television series hosted by Sam Waterston, showcases the critical work of La Jolla Institute for Immunology scientists working on the front lines of infectious disease including COVID-19.
Members
Latest News
How to shift into COVID-19 research
Scientists who aren’t virologists or vaccinologists can still make crucial contributions to the global effort to battle SARS-CoV-2.
Covid- 19 – Good news on immunity
After infection or vaccination immunity to the virus may be long lasting
Inside the labs of three leading San Diego scientists
LA JOLLA—Studying the immune system means venturing into uncharted territory, leading explorations of the countless immune cells and genetic players
The End of the Pandemic Is Now in Sight
A year of scientific uncertainty is over. Two vaccines look like they will work, and more should follow.
Immunity to the Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint
Blood samples from recovered patients suggest a powerful, long-lasting immune response, researchers reported.
Coronavirus Immunity May Last Years, Possibly Even Decades, Study Suggests
Immunity to the novel coronavirus may last eight months or longer, according to a new study authored by respected scientists at leading labs, which found that individuals who recovered from the coronavirus developed “robust” levels of B cells and T cells (necessary for fighting off the virus) and “these cells may persist in the body for a very, very long time.”