Research at the New York Influenza Center of Excellence Continues with New NIH Grant

In 2007, scientists at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry were awarded $26 million from the National Institutes of Health to create the New York Influenza Center of Excellence (NYICE). Over the past seven years, the center has contributed greatly to our overall understanding of how the immune response to flu is regulated, providing information that is leading to more effective strategies for flu vaccination.

With a new award of $3 million from NIH, researchers will continue this work for another year, investigating how our immune systems respond to flu vaccines and new seasonal and pandemic flu viruses. The long-term goal is to gain more knowledge that will improve the design of flu vaccines to provide better protection.

“We are building on investments by the NIH to improve our ability to prepare for and reduce risk every year during flu season and in the case of another pandemic,” said David J. Topham, Ph.D.,, who directs NYICE with John J. Treanor, M.D. “This work is made possible by our highly cooperative, synergistic and multi-disciplinary team of scientists with expertise in immunology, virology, epidemiology, clinical and translational research and data management.”

Read more about the new award here.