Immune response to Rubella Immunization-ORISE

Under the ORISE fellowship program, the candidate will be offered the opportunity to be trained in Vaccine Virus Preventable Diseases Brunch, Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The ability of rubella vaccine to establish persistent infection in immunocompromised individuals resulting in chronic inflammation and associated pathologies has been recently discovered. One of the research goals of the rubella program in CDC is to develop understanding of the immune response to rubella immunization and its role in the maintenance of persistent rubella infections and associated pathologies. The fellow will have the opportunity to gain experience in organizing a study, IRB approval process, enrolling persons expected to be exposed to rubella vaccine derived viruses and coordinating specimen collection. The fellow will be also trained on projects that will improve understanding of the antigenic properties of rubella viruses associated with long term persistence and will characterize immune responses against rubella vaccine in healthy vaccines and individuals with long term persistent rubella virus infections, which will occur under tutelage and direction of an assigned mentor Dr. Ludmila Perelygina.