Anna Palmer Durbin, M.D.

Dr. Durbin’s research involves the evaluation of experimental vaccines in human clinical trials. At the Center for Immunization Research, she and her team have conducted numerous clinical trials of many different pediatric and adult candidate vaccines. These trials have included vaccines against HIV, hepatitis C, human papilloma virus, influenza, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, dengue virus and malaria. She is primarily interested in vaccines against dengue viruses and malaria, and has very active dengue and malaria vaccine programs at the Center for Immunization Research. They have conducted numerous Phase I live attenuated dengue vaccine trials with the ultimate goal of identifying suitable monovalent vaccine viruses for inclusion in a tetravalent dengue vaccine. In addition, they have conducted many Phase I malaria vaccine trials at their clinical site in Washington, DC. One of Dr. Durbin’s interests is studying the immunopathogenesis of dengue infection and disease. Her team hopes to better understand the viral, host and immunologic factors causing severe dengue illness by extensively characterizing the cellular and humoral responses of volunteers to live attenuated dengue virus vaccines. In addition to their clinical studies, Dr. Durbin’s laboratory is also developing an animal model of dengue using rhesus macaques.