Serological Sciences Centers of Excellence
As part of the NCI Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet), NCI has awarded eight institutions U54 grants to conduct multiple research projects to characterize the immune responses to coronavirus infection and learn about what drives immune response, disease progression, and protection against future infection.
| Center | Description | Principal Investigator(s)/Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Serological Testing to Improve Outcomes from Pandemic COVID-19 (STOP-COVID) | Conduct longitudinal serologic tracking of individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2, perform molecular analysis of their immune response, and to create communication tools for targeted populations | Eugene M. Oltz, Ann Scheck McAlearney, Ashish Raman Panchal, Linda J. Saif Ohio State University |
| North Carolina SeroNet Center for Excellence | Perform studies that advance understanding of the serologic response to SARS-CoV-2 and its role in protective immunity though fundamental characterizations of natural infections, therapeutic interventions, and vaccines | Ralph S. Baric, Shannon Margaret Wallet UNC-Chapel Hill |
| Diversity and Determinants of the Immune-Inflammatory Response to SARS-CoV-2 | Examine the correlation of COVID-19 disease trajectories with several demographic factors and to study the effect of metabolic disorders, blood cancers, and cancer immunotherapy on the disease pathology | Susan Cheng, Jane C. Figueirdo, Michael Karin Cedars-Sinai Medical Center |
| Johns Hopkins Excellence in Pathogenesis and Immunity Center for SARS-CoV-2 (JH-EPICS) | Evaluate the innate and adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients sampled longitudinally in order to distinguish immune responses that are protective from those that cause disease complications | Sabra L. Klein, Andrea L. Cox Johns Hopkins University |
| Tulane University COVID Antibody and Immunity Network (TUCAIN) | Characterize the antibody profiles in diverse populations of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals including cancer patients; perform longitudinal studies of antibody specificity and function from COVID-19 survivors; and study how other seasonal coronaviruses shape immunity and clinical course of infection of the novel SARS-CoV-2 | James E. Robinson Tulane University |
| Mechanisms and Duration of Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 | Study the molecular mechanisms of the adaptive immune response in COVID-19 patients, including those with cancer and the medically underserved | Scott Dexter Boyd Stanford University |
| Immune Regulation of COVID-19 Infection in Cancer and Autoimmunity | Investigate immunological mechanisms underlying the course of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients and patients with autoimmune disease | Ignacio E. Sanz, Madhav V. Dhodapkar Emory University |
| Vulnerability of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Lung Cancer Based on Serological Antibody Analyses | Gain insights into why patients with lung cancer show much higher susceptibility to mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 infection | Fred R. Hirsch, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai |