B Cell Immunobiology Section
Established in 2024
Sarah F. Andrews, Ph.D.
Chief, B Cell Immunobiology Section
Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator
Major Areas of Research
- Human B cell biology
- Immune mechanisms of imprinting
- Immune profiling of vaccine responses
- Antibody discovery
Program Description
The B cell Immunobiology Section (BCIS) is dedicated to investigating B cell responses to evolving respiratory viruses, with a focus on influenza. Influenza remains a major public health concern and emergence of a new pandemic strain from zoonotic reservoirs is a constant threat. Equally concerning are new pandemics with other evolving respiratory viruses that cause widespread death and disruption. To be prepared for the next pandemic we need to understand how to elicit sustained, broadly protective antibody responses in the context of pre-existing immunity.
Our research focuses on understanding how pre-existing immunity to endemic, evolving viruses affects B cell responses in individuals with different exposure histories vaccinated with different immunogens designed to elicit broadly protective responses to influenza. Using samples collected from clinical trials with unique experimental vaccines and employing cutting edge technology to explore B cell biology, we ask fundamental questions that will directly inform future vaccine strategies, not only for influenza, but other evolving endemic viruses. We are seeking to understand fundamental immunological mechanisms surrounding imprinting and epitope immunodominance.
Current projects center around understanding how imprinting of memory B cells is established in the very young, how repeated vaccination changes B cell memory as well as how adjuvants and display of immunogens changes epitope immunodominance. We also leverage the VRC’s clinical trial vaccine samples to isolate potent human antibodies that could serve as therapeutics in the advent of an influenza pandemic.
Biography
Education
Ph.D., 2008, University of Washington
Dr. Sarah Andrews obtained a Ph.D. in immunology in 2008 at the University of Washington under Dr. David Rawlings. Her Ph.D. work focused on immune tolerance mechanisms and cell signaling pathways controlling B cell fate during B cell development. In 2009 she joined the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Wilson at the University of Chicago as a postdoctoral fellow to study human B cell response to influenza vaccination just as the 2009 pandemic H1N1 emerged. In 2014 she became a Staff Scientist at the Vaccine Research Center where she continued her work investigating B cell responses to vaccines. In 2024 she was named Chief of the B cell Immunobiology Section and Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator at the VRC.
Clinical Studies
Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of a Mosaic Hexavalent Influenza Vaccine VRC-FLUMOS0116-00-VP (FluMos-v2) in Healthy Adults, NCT05968989
Evaluating the Dose, Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of a Mosaic Hexavalent Influenza Vaccine VRC-FLUMOS0116-00-VP (FluMos-v2) With and Without ALFQ Adjuvant in Healthy Adults, NCT06863142
Selected Publications
Spangler, A, Shimberg GD, Mantus GE, Malek R, Cominsky LY, Tsybovsky Y, Li N, Gillespie GA, Ravichandran M, Creanga A, Raab JA, Gajjala SR, Mendoza F, Houser KV, Dropulic L, McDermott AB, Kanekiyo M, Andrews SF. Influenza virus exposure shapes the B cell response to influenza vaccination fifty years later. Immunity. 2025 Mar 11;58(3):728-744.e9.
Mantus GE, Chopde AJ, Gorman J, Cominsky LY, Ourahmane A, Creanga A, Shimberg GD, Gillespie RA, Van Wazer DJ, Zhou T, Gajjala SR, Williams C, Maestle E, Reed DS, Serebryannyy L, Costner P, Holman L, Casazza JP, Koup RA, Dropulic LK, Kwong PD, McDermott AB, Kanekiyo M, Andrews SF. Vaccination with different group 2 influenza subtypes alters epitope targeting and breadth of hemagglutinin stem-specific human B cells. Sci Transl Med. 2025 Jan;17(779):eadr8373.
Andrews SF, Cominsky L, Shimberg G, Gillespie R, Gorman J, Raab J, Brand J, Creanga A, Gajjala S, Narwal S, Darcy H, Cheung S-F, Zhou T, Gordon I, Homan L, Mendoza F, Houser K, Chen G, Mascola J, Graham B, Kwong PD, Widge A, Dropbulic L, Ledgerwood J, Kanekiyo M, McDermott AB. An influenza hemagglutinin stem-only immunogen elicits a broadly cross-reactive B cell response in humans. Science Translational Med. 2023 Apr 19:15(692):eade4976.
Andrews SF, Raab JE, Gorman J, Gillespie RA, Cheung, CSF, Rawi R, Cominsky LY, Boyington JC, Creanga A, Shen CH, Harris DR, Olia AS, Nazzari AF, Zhou T, Houser KV, Chen GL, Mascola JR, Graham BS, Kanekiyo M, Ledgerwood JE, Kwong PD, McDermott AB. A single residue in influenza virus H2 hemagglutinin enhances the breadth of the B cell response elicited by H2 vaccination. Nat Med. 2022 Feb;28(2):373-382.
Andrews SF, Chambers MJ, Schramm CA, Plyler J, Raab JE, Kanekiyo M, Gillespie RA, Ransier A, Darko S, Hu J, Chen X, Yassine HM, Boyington JC, Crank MC, Chen GL, Coates E, Mascola JR, Douek DC, Graham BS, Ledgerwood JE, McDermott AB. Activation dynamics and immunoglobulin evolution of pre-existing and newly generated human memory B cell responses to influenza hemagglutinin. Immunity. 2019 Aug 20;51(2):398,410.e5.
Andrews SF, McDermott AB. Shaping a universally broad antibody response to influenza amidst a variable immunoglobulin landscape. Curr Opin Immunol. 2018 Aug;53:96-101.