Project description
Predicting variation in influenza vaccination response
Vaccination against influenza shows great variability in efficacy among individuals, but the underlying aetiology remains poorly understood. The scope of the EU-funded ModVaccine project is to shed light on the genetic, host and environmental determinants of vaccination response. Scientists will study vaccinated individuals and integrate omics data sets with immune phenotypes. The identified cell types, molecules and pathways involved in vaccine-induced immune responses will be fed into mathematical models capable of predicting individual variation in vaccination response. The ModVaccine prediction model has the potential to improve the future design of influenza vaccines.
Objective
Influenza is a significant public health threat and vaccines are crucial for preventing infections at population-level. The efficacy of vaccination per individual, however, is highly variable. The causes for this broad variability in vaccine response between individuals remain poorly understood. In this proposal, I hypothesize that genetic variants and their downstream pathways underlie the heterogeneity in vaccine response between individuals. This ERC project aims to for the first time, systematically investigate the interactions between genetic, non-genetic host and environmental factors, and the response to vaccination in order to build reliable models for predicting vaccine efficacy. The outcomes of this research will pinpoint key deterministic factors and identify modulators that can be used to improve vaccination strategies. This project is based on the expertise that my research group has built up for identifying the downstream consequences of genetic variants, and for predictive modelling through integration of large cross-omics datasets. Given the rapid evolution of influenza virus, I will use seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines as prototype responses within two cohorts of 500 individuals from the Netherlands and 200 individuals from Germany. I will systematically generate, analyse, and integrate the cross-omics data (six layers of information from genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and microbiome) with immune phenotypes (e.g. antibody titers, an important indicator of protection) using novel computational methods. This research will reveal the previously unknown cell-types, molecules, and pathways involved in vaccine-induced immune response and provide mathematical models for predicting individual variation in immune response, a crucial first step towards personalized prevention. The key molecules I identify will provide leads for pharmacological modulators for improving vaccine efficacy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry metabolomes
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses influenza
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics epigenomes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
38124 Braunschweig
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.