Taking A Shot at Health

Center for Immunization Research

Pandemic influenza. Dengue. Typhoid. Lethal infectious diseases still endanger large swaths of the world.

Future preventive efforts against these pathogenic threats depend on effective new vaccines. So, the world looks to the expertise of the Center for Immunization Research (CIR), founded in 1985. CIR conducts early-stage clinical trials of new vaccines in the U.S. and in developing countries. The Center has conducted trials on vaccines against human papillomavirus, HIV, avian influenza, West Nile virus, anthrax and numerous other pathogens.

CIR Director Ruth Karron and her team have also achieved international recognition for helping other research professionals develop the skills and infrastructure needed to design and conduct clinical vaccine trials. Karron also directs the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative, which serves as an umbrella organization for faculty involved in vaccine research, teaching, policy and ethics.