In Person & By Zoom

Contact corit@hawaii.edu for Zoom connection information

Jourdan McMillan, Ph.D.

Instructor
Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology
John A. Burns School of Medicine
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Antibody levels and memory B cells are common measures of vaccine immunogenicity. While they are useful for understanding ongoing and memory responses, B cells at all stages of development can potentially respond to vaccines and their components. Our lab has demonstrated that PRR ligands, currently being investigated as vaccine adjuvants, can drive the maturation of immature, transitional B cells, however, their effects on other B cell populations is not completely understood. Understanding how vaccines and their components affect various B cell populations will add to the big picture of vaccine immunogenicity. Additionally, ethnic differences in response to vaccination has been noted. This seminar will summarize ongoing research evaluating the impact of immunogenic vaccine components on various B cell populations and ethnic differences in B cell responses to COVID-19 vaccination in Filipinos and non-Filipinos residing in Hawaiʻi.