At the Prem Lakshmanane Lab, we work to improve public health by reducing the impact of infectious diseases. By partnering with clinicians and global health leaders, we turn laboratory discoveries into accessible tools that benefit individuals and communities. Our current studies build on basic research in virology and immunology to develop solutions for tracking the spread of viruses across human populations and for individual patient-level diagnostics. We are also actively working on tools required for testing vaccines and the personalized, most effective use of approved vaccines. The ultimate goal of our laboratory is to contribute to a healthier and more resilient future for all.
IMMUNE RESPONSE TO INFECTION AND VACCINATION
We have developed novel assays to study how the immune system responds to viral infections and vaccines, including tools for tracking antibody levels, mapping the specificity of responses, and determining how those responses change over time. We use techniques such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and site-directed mutagenesis to study mechanisms of antibody-mediated virus neutralization. We have built prototype vaccine platforms for clinically important virus families. The Lakshmanane laboratory is part of the US NIH initiative, the Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Network.
SERODIAGNOSTICS FOR EMERGING AND REEMERGING VIRAL PATHOGENS
We use structure-based approaches to design novel antigens for high-throughput, multiplex serological assays. We have active partnerships with local and international clinicians and epidemiologists to validate and implement the serological assays developed in the lab.
PERSONALIZED VACCINES
We recognize that immune responses vary among individuals. The Lakshmanane lab develops simplified tools to support informed decisions about vaccines tailored to individual needs, with the current focus on improving COVID-19 and pediatric rotavirus vaccines.
PROGNOSIS FOR VIRAL DISEASE
Early detection of biomarkers at symptom onset can identify individuals at risk for severe disease. For example, while millions of people recover normally after dengue infection, a small percentage of those develop life-threatening conditions. Several factors have been identified as contributing to dengue disease severity, including prior flavivirus infection, levels of specific viral proteins that contribute to pathogenesis, and some host factors. Our laboratory is developing reliable tests to identify those at higher risk of severe dengue, to support timely clinical intervention.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Thiono DJ, Samaras D, Phan TTN, Zhu DR, Shah RP, Castillo I, Forsberg LJ, Premkumar L, Baric RS, Tian S, Kuhlman B, de Silva AM. Stabilized dengue virus 2 envelope subunit vaccine redirects the neutralizing antibody response to all E-domains. J Virol. 2025 May 20;99(5):e0022925. doi: 10.1128/jvi.00229-25. Epub 2025 Apr 16. PMID: 40237498; PMCID: PMC12090738.
Hein LD, Castillo IN, Medina FA, Vila F, Segovia-Chumbez B, Muñoz-Jordán JL, Whitehead SS, Adams LE, Paz-Bailey G, de Silva AM, Premkumar L. Multiplex sample-sparing assay for detecting type-specific antibodies to Zika and dengue viruses: an assay development and validation study. Lancet Microbe. 2025 Feb;6(2):100951. doi: 10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.07.014. Epub 2024 Dec 25. PMID: 39730005; PMCID: PMC12244352.
Agarwal R, Chang J, Côrtes FH, Ha C, Villalpando J, Castillo IN, Gálvez RI, Grifoni A, Sette A, Romero-Vivas CM, Heise MT, Premkumar L, Falconar AK, Weiskopf D. Chikungunya virus-specific CD4+ T cells are associated with chronic chikungunya viral arthritic disease in humans. Cell Rep Med. 2025 May 20;6(5):102134. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102134. PMID: 40398392; PMCID: PMC12147901.
Bos S, Zambrana JV, Duarte E, Graber AL, Huffaker J, Montenegro C, Premkumar L, Gordon A, Kuan G, Balmaseda A, Harris E. Serotype-specific epidemiological patterns of inapparent versus symptomatic primary dengue virus infections: a 17-year cohort study in Nicaragua. Lancet Infect Dis. 2025 Mar;25(3):346-356. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00566-8. Epub 2024 Oct 25. PMID: 39489898; PMCID: PMC11864988.
Mielke D, Li SS, Schuster DJ, Li X, Hu J, Karuna S, Seaton KE, Brackett C, Dunn B, Keyes T, Zalaquett A, Stanfield-Oakley S, Zhang L, Wesley MS, Eisel N, Yates NL, Shen X, Premkumar L, Germain RS, Sholukh AM, Cohen K, de Rosa S, Randhawa AK, Hural JA, Corey L, McElrath MJ, Tomaras GD, Hyrien O, Ferrari G. Distinct immune responses in people living with HIV following SARS-CoV-2 recovery. Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Apr 23;5(1):132. doi: 10.1038/s43856-025-00839-1. PMID: 40269243; PMCID: PMC12018938.
Mallory M, Munt JE, Narowski TM, Castillo I, Cuadra E, Pisanic N, Fields P, Powers JM, Dickson A, Harris R, Wargowsky R, Moran S, Allabban A, Raphel K, McCaffrey TA, Brien JD, Heaney CD, Lafleur JE, Baric RS, Premkumar L. COVID-19 point-of-care tests can identify low-antibody individuals: In-depth immunoanalysis of boosting benefits in a healthy cohort. Sci Adv. 2024 Jun 14;10(24):eadi1379. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adi1379. Epub 2024 Jun 12. PMID: 38865463; PMCID: PMC11168476.
Joseph JO, Ylade M, Daag JV, Aogo R, Crisostomo MV, Mpingabo P, Premkumar L, Deen J, Katzelnick LC. High transmission of endemic human coronaviruses before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents in Cebu, Philippines. BMC Infect Dis. 2024 Sep 27;24(1):1042. doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09672-8. PMID: 39333882; PMCID: PMC11430261.
Adams C, Carbaugh DL, Shu B, Ng TS, Castillo IN, Bhowmik R, Segovia-Chumbez B, Puhl AC, Graham S, Diehl SA, Lazear HM, Lok SM, de Silva AM, Premkumar L. Structure and neutralization mechanism of a human antibody targeting a complex Epitope on Zika virus. PLoS Pathog. 2023 Jan 10;19(1):e1010814. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010814. PMID: 36626401; PMCID: PMC9870165.
Yu ED, Narowski TM, Wang E, Garrigan E, Mateus J, Frazier A, Weiskopf D, Grifoni A, Premkumar L, da Silva Antunes R, Sette A. Immunological memory to common cold coronaviruses assessed longitudinally over a three-year period pre-COVID19 pandemic. Cell Host Microbe. 2022 Sep 14;30(9):1269-1278.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.07.012. Epub 2022 Jul 20. PMID: 35932763; PMCID: PMC9296686.
Narowski TM, Raphel K, Adams LE, Huang J, Vielot NA, Jadi R, de Silva AM, Baric RS, Lafleur JE, Premkumar L. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine induces robust specific and cross-reactive IgG and unequal neutralizing antibodies in naive and previously infected people. Cell Rep. 2022 Feb 1;38(5):110336. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110336. Epub 2022 Jan 20. PMID: 35090596; PMCID: PMC8769879.
Churiwal M, Lin KD, Khan S, Chhetri S, Muller MS, Tompkins K, Smith J, Litel C, Whittelsey M, Basham C, Rapp T, Cerami C, Premkumar L, Lin JT. Assessment of the Field Utility of a Rapid Point-of-Care Test for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in a Household Cohort. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021 Nov 24;106(1):156-159. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0592. PMID: 34818625; PMCID: PMC8733539.
Adams C, Jadi R, Segovia-Chumbez B, Daag J, Ylade M, Medina FA, Sharp TM, Munoz-Jordan JL, Yoon IK, Deen J, Lopez AL, de Silva AM, Premkumar L. Novel Assay to Measure Seroprevalence of Zika Virus in the Philippines. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Dec;27(12):3073-3081. doi: 10.3201/eid2712.211150. PMID: 34808091; PMCID: PMC8632176.
Kudlacek ST, Metz S, Thiono D, Payne AM, Phan TTN, Tian S, Forsberg LJ, Maguire J, Seim I, Zhang S, Tripathy A, Harrison J, Nicely NI, Soman S, McCracken MK, Gromowski GD, Jarman RG, Premkumar L, de Silva AM, Kuhlman B. Designed, highly expressing, thermostable dengue virus 2 envelope protein dimers elicit quaternary epitope antibodies. Sci Adv. 2021 Oct 15;7(42):eabg4084. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abg4084. Epub 2021 Oct 15. PMID: 34652943; PMCID: PMC8519570.
Katzelnick LC, Narvaez C, Arguello S, Lopez Mercado B, Collado D, Ampie O, Elizondo D, Miranda T, Bustos Carillo F, Mercado JC, Latta K, Schiller A, Segovia-Chumbez B, Ojeda S, Sanchez N, Plazaola M, Coloma J, Halloran ME, Premkumar L, Gordon A, Narvaez F, de Silva AM, Kuan G, Balmaseda A, Harris E. Zika virus infection enhances future risk of severe dengue disease. Science. 2020 Aug 28;369(6507):1123-1128. doi: 10.1126/science.abb6143. PMID: 32855339; PMCID: PMC8274975.
Premkumar L, Segovia-Chumbez B, Jadi R, Martinez DR, Raut R, Markmann A, Cornaby C, Bartelt L, Weiss S, Park Y, Edwards CE, Weimer E, Scherer EM, Rouphael N, Edupuganti S, Weiskopf D, Tse LV, Hou YJ, Margolis D, Sette A, Collins MH, Schmitz J, Baric RS, de Silva AM. The receptor binding domain of the viral spike protein is an immunodominant and highly specific target of antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Sci Immunol. 2020 Jun 11;5(48):eabc8413. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abc8413. PMID: 32527802; PMCID: PMC7292505.