About the Program
The University of Rochester has a long history of research in respiratory pathogens and vaccines, including Haemophilus influenzae B vaccine, Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, and Influenza vaccines and antivirals, to name a few. Our faculty are pioneers of the RSV clinical research field and leaders in the study of RSV immunology. We are leaders in influenza research - vaccines and antivirals, and COVID-19 research.
Our history and successes have led to 14 years of consecutive funding and establishment of the New York Influenza Center for Excellence, a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional, center that emphasizes basic and clinical research on human influenza surveillance, pathogenesis, and host responses to infection and vaccination, and the recently funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU), Infectious Disease Clinical Research Center, which focuses on evaluation of vaccines, preventive biologics, therapeutics, diagnostics, predictive markers and devices for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
The University also has a robust clinical research infrastructure that includes the UR Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Clinical Trials Coordination Center, Center for Health and Technology, Infectious Diseases Research Clinic, HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, New Vaccine Surveillance Network and the Center for Community Health, Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Prevention.
We pride ourselves on our strong interdisciplinary program faculty in microbiology, immunology, virology, pulmonary, dermatology, environmental medicine, infectious disease, allergy, rheumatology, and pathology, as well as emerging leaders in data science in computational biology.
The Institute will bring together these multi-disciplinary teams of scientists and clinicians that will take the knowledge gained from basic research in immunology, microbiology, and virology and apply it to problems in human diseases caused by infectious pathogens.
The TIIDI is composed of 10 Pillars. These pillars represent conceptual areas of shared research interests, and are the foundation on which the institute stands. Each Pillar has an appointed lead investigator whose task is to facilitate faculty collaborations and seeking of funding opportunities.
- Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology
- Barrier Immunology
- HIV/AIDS
- Coronavirus, Influenza and other Respiratory Pathogens
- Antibiotic Resistance
- Vaccines
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
- Community and Public Health
- Cancer Immunosuppression
- Dental/Oral