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My research encompasses the full breadth of vaccine science via a unique combination of laboratory, clinical and epidemiologic research, integrating an exciting and innovative range of work. This breadth of expertise enables me to respond quickly to changing priorities, exemplified during the COVID-19 pandemic when I tackled diverse knowledge gaps rapidly and produced high quality results to inform policy – further detailed in the COVID-19 productivity impact assessment. My research program includes three complementary focus areas in an innovative molecule-to-population approach.

Vaccine Development. Develop new highly immunogenic vaccines and a novel vaccine platform.

Our group is currently focussed on developing vaccines against the global threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Our work focuses on development of a vaccine against Klebsiella – a ‘critical’ priority pathogen according to the World Health Organization (WHO). We have designed new vaccines against Klebsiella, developing new mouse models of Klebsiella infection, and designed and tested novel vaccine antigens in these models.

Vaccine Immunity. Enhance immunity in individuals by optimizing immune responses to vaccines.

We are on the cusp of a transformative paradigm shift in vaccine research, catalyzed by the discovery from my group that a person’s immune status at time of vaccination, determines the outcome of vaccine response. I have been the PI of clinical trials, and evaluated antibody responses to infections and vaccines, including with systems biology approaches. This involved development and use of assays to measure antibody response and function after immunization in humans and mice. For example, aÌýHaemophilus influenzae type a vaccine has been developed in Canada, and is ready for phase 1 clinical trials, where salivary antibody analysis will be done in my lab, using a salivary assay that our group developed. Of note, this vaccine is being developed in Canada because of the particularly high incidence of Haemophilus influenzae type a disease in Indigenous populations.

Vaccine Effectiveness. Improve protection in the population by clinical vaccine evaluation.

I have multicentre national and international phase 1-4 clinical trials and observational studies to evaluate vaccine effectiveness after implementation and across the age spectrum. Specific clinical trials that I have been PI/co-PI include:

Mix-and-match study of three COVID-19 vaccines; n=1200 adults, 6 sites

Responses to Tdap vaccine in HIV-infected vs. HIV-uninfected pregnant women; n=200

2 vs. 3 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in infants; n=248, 4 sites

Compare different meningococcal vaccine schedules in adolescents; n=324, 3 sites

My group’s contributions have shaped national and global policy. For example, our studies on pertussis immunization during pregnancy have addressed (i) the burden of disease in infants, (ii) optimal timing of vaccination during pregnancy, and (iii) the impact of immunization during pregnancy on later vaccine responses during infancy. Our work has also provided evidence for reducing the number of doses for different vaccines (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, human papillomavirus), with major potential healthcare cost savings. Across all of these research areas, our group has played a central role in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.