Dr. Douam explains how scientists unravel the mechanisms by which viruses such as covid-19 (SARS-CV2) invade cells and overcome the body’s defenses. We learn about the development of effective vaccines and the difference between mRNA and DNA vaccines. And we learn about the value of using humanized mice –mice engrafted with human tissues– which advance both the understanding of human immune responses and the improvement of vaccines. Image: Belmont Media Center
Florian Douam, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the Boston University School of Medicine. He also currently leads the Douam Lab located at the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratories (NEIDL), which investigates how the human immune system as a tissue interacts with specific viral pathogens and ultimately regulates different outcome of infection.