Kathryn Foulds, Ph.D.
Nonhuman Primate Immunogenicity Core
Immunological evaluations in nonhuman primate (NHP) models are essential for the advancement of vaccine research. As a result, the Nonhuman Primate Immunogenicity Core (NIC) was established to support the research efforts of investigators at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC).
NIC manages basic, translational, and preclinical studies. Basic research studies encompass lymphocyte trafficking, the generation and maintenance of memory responses in systemic and mucosal sites, and pathogenesis following simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection. Translational research at NIC includes optimizing a variety of different platforms and vectors by studying the effects of different adjuvants, schedules, and delivery methods on immunogenicity. Lastly, NIC conducts preclinical testing of vaccines in NHP models; these data are used to support moving clinical products forward to human testing and can be critical to regulatory filings.
The responsibilities of the NIC include the following:
- Consulting on the design and implementation of NHP studies
- Coordinating all studies and sample collections with the VRC Laboratory of Animal Medicine
- Writing and defending all animal study protocols before the Institute’s animal care and use committee
- Developing and validating standard operating procedures for cellular and humoral immunogenicity assays
- Implementing all testing according to good laboratory practice guidelines
- Collating, analyzing, and coordinating data
- Preparing oral and written presentations of studies for both internal and external use
To perform these operations, NIC uses the state-of-the-art technologies available through the VRC Flow Cytometry Core Laboratory.
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