Johns Hopkins is a member of the Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Cervical... Cancer. With a $11.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, we are conducting lab, translational and clinical studies to prevent and treat cervical cancers. Previous studies have identified connections between immune system genes and HPV16. Current projects include the development of next-generation HPV vaccines to control HPV-associated precursor lesions and invasive cancer. Our dedicated researchers are working to extend the techniques used in HPV vaccine development to the creation of vaccines targeting other cancers with defined tumor antigens. view more

We are interested in how immune responses occur in the cervix. The focus of our translational ...research is on developing immune therapies for disease caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection causes more cancers than any other virus in the world. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer caused by HPV, and although we have known how to screen for it for over half a century, it remains the second most common cause of cancer death in women. Although the preventive vaccines are a public health milestone, they prevent HPV infections, but are not designed to make immune responses to treat HPV. We are testing different strategies to make immune responses that could treat HPV disease. Our dedicated researchers are working to extend the techniques used in HPV vaccine development to the creation of vaccines targeting other cancers with defined tumor antigens. view more

Research in the David Sack Lab focuses on enteric infections. Our team has worked to develop la...boratory detection methods to better understand the epidemiology of these agents. We also work to create appropriate clinical management strategies, such as antibiotics and rehydration methods, for enteric infections. Our work has included participating in the development of vaccines for a range of bacterial infections, including rotavirus, cholera and enterotoxigenic E. coli. view more

Research in the Diane Griffin Lab focuses on the viral, cellular and immunologic determinants o...f diseases caused by alphaviruses and the measles virus. Our current studies aim to understand the immune-system mechanisms behind viral clearance and disease enhancement. Our team is also working to understand the pathogenesis of the measles virus, with a focus on developing new vaccines and learning how the virus induces immunosuppression. view more

The Pardoll Lab focuses on the regulation of antigen-specific T cell responses and studies appr...oaches to modify these responses for immunotherapy. Pardoll has a particular interest in cancer immunology and his lab’s studies on basic immunologic mechanisms have led to the development and design of a number of cancer vaccines and discovery of key checkpoint ligands and receptors, such as PD-L2, LAG-3 and neuritin, many of which are being targeted clinically.

Our primary pursuits are discovering and elucidating new molecules that regulate immune responses, investigating the biology of regulatory T cells, and better understanding the specific biochemical signatures that allow a patient’s T cells to selectively target cancer cells.
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The Ivan Borrello Lab focuses on the development of a novel approach of adoptive T cell therapy... utilizing marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) as a more tumor-specific T cell approach. This has led to establishing the first adoptive T cell trials at Johns Hopkins and an exploration of this approach in other diseases, including nonhematologic malignancies. The lab also examines strategies for treating minimal residual disease (MRD) in myeloma with the combination of immune modulation and whole cell-based vaccines. view more

Research in the Kawsar Rasmy Talaat Lab focuses on international health and parasitology, with ...an emphasis on vaccines, avian influenza and pandemic influenza. Our team conducts clinical trials of vaccines for a range of diverse pathogens, including flu strains that have the potential to reach pandemic status. Our studies seek to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of vaccine candidates. We also have a longstanding interest in tropical medicine. view more

The Maryam Jahromi Lab researches infectious diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis, endocard...itis, viral hemorrhagic fevers, brucellosis, Clostridium difficile and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. We are particularly interested in the impact of the influenza vaccine on systemic inflammation. Recent areas of focus include the relationship between influenza vaccination and cardiovascular outcomes, the emergence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Iran, and prospects for vaccines and therapies for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. view more

The William Bishai Laboratory studies the molecular pathogenesis of tuberculosis. The overall g...oal of our laboratory is to better understand tuberculosis pathogenesis and then to employ this understanding toward improved drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. Since Mycobacterium tuberculosis senses and adapts to a wide array of conditions during the disease process, it is clear that the regulation of expression of virulence factors plays an important role in pathogenesis. As a result, a theme of our research is to assess mycobacterial genes important in gene regulation. We are also interested in cell division in mycobacteria and the pathogenesis of caseation and cavitation. view more