Next-Generation Vaccines

At the Christopher Anderson Laboratory, we’re building the future of vaccines with a particular focus on protecting the most vulnerable, infants at risk of severe respiratory infections. Our primary research centers on developing new vaccine strategies to combat Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a leading cause of hospitalization and death in young children worldwide. While monoclonal antibody treatments are accessible and affordable in countries like the U.S., they remain expensive and difficult to distribute in low-resource settings.

Infants under six months old are at the highest risk of severe RSV disease, and until recently, there were no vaccines available to protect them. In 2019 alone, RSV was estimated to cause 3.6 million hospitalizations and approximately 100,000 deaths in children under five years of age, with nearly half of these deaths occurring in infants younger than six months. Alarmingly, 97% of pediatric RSV-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where access to supportive medical care is limited (World Health Organization, 2025).

To address this urgent global health challenge, our lab explores next-generation immunization tools, like viral vectors, mRNA lipid nanoparticles and heterologous prime-boost regimens. We combine innovative computational modeling with cutting-edge experimental approaches to develop vaccines that induce long-lasting, broadly neutralizing antibody responses.

We use immunological shape space, a computational framework that models antibody-antigen interactions in a multidimensional landscape, to predict cross-reactivity and guide vaccine design by anticipating how the immune system responds to diverse antigens.

Beyond RSV, our work also targets other high-impact viruses, including Influenza, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2. We are always excited to welcome motivated students and researchers who are passionate about vaccine science, immunoengineering, and advancing global health. Whether you're drawn to hands-on lab work, computational biology, or translational research, there is a place for you in the Anderson Lab.

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