Immune Development in Early Life (IDEaL) Program

The IDEaL Program supports research to expand our understanding of the establishment, development, and maintenance of immunity across childhood – from birth to 17 years of age. The program aims to provide foundational knowledge on the generation of durable immune responses, development of immune-mediated diseases, and strategies for improving vaccine efficacy in children.

Main Areas of Focus

  • Evaluation of age-dependent maturation of immune components in different populations and tissues (e.g., skin, gut, respiratory mucosa)
  • Longitudinal assessments following early life exposures (e.g., breastfeeding, environmental agents, infections, allergens)
  • Applications of innovative assays and technologies to evaluate immune cell populations and interactions in systems reflecting their physiological environments

Awarded Institutions

  • Columbia University Health Sciences
  • Ohio State University
  • University of California, San Francisco
  • University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
  • University of Oxford
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
  • Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Johns Hopkins University
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