Mark Heise, PhD (Professor, Genetics and Microbiology & Immunology) was awarded a scientific research agreement from Moderna Therapeutics to utilize the Collaborative Cross (CC) to improve models to study the safety and immunogenicity of vaccines.
Specifically, the project will test a panel of CC strains for variation in mRNA vaccine-induced signs of reactogenicity, including local swelling, inflammation, inflammatory disease signs (e.g., cytokines) or systemic disease. Since reactogenicity has been linked to the magnitude of vaccine response, Heise will also evaluate whether reactogenicity is associated with variation in the magnitude or durability of vaccine-induced immunity.