T Cells in Autoimmunity, Viral Diseases, and Vaccines - Annie Elong

Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wealth Okete⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent.

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Annie Elong is a Research Instructor in the Center for Vaccine Innovation at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Elong received her Ph.D. in Immunology investigating the role of autoreactive T and B cells in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS). Her research focus has since broadened, to human infectious diseases and mouse models in the group of Dr. Sujan Shresta at La Jolla. She has led key projects aimed at understanding the adaptive immune response to infection with flaviviruses, particularly dengue and Zika, contributing towards the development of efficient vaccines. During the pandemic, Elong investigated the role of pre-existing immunity to human common cold coronaviruses and the interplay between antibody and T cell responses in shaping the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

In this episode, Elong talks about her journey through and contributions to the field, which has crisscrossed T cells, antibodies, autoimmunity and vaccines. In addition, she discusses the critical roles pan vaccines could play in the fight against viral diseases and shares part of her ongoing plans to elucidate how T cells mediate neuropathologies associated with viral infections.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – podcast intro

00:47 – guest intro

01:50 – overview of career journey, getting into immunology and infectious diseases research

04:32 – PhD research (T cells and multiple sclerosis): findings, implications

11:00 – navigating the switch from autoimmunity to viral immunology and vaccines

13:27 – ImmunoAfrica x Immunopaedia quiz interlude

14:16 – navigating switches: why every scientist has the recipe for surviving career/research switches

18:30 – postdoctoral research (Dengue and Zika viruses: T cells, antibodies, and pan-vaccines): findings, implications

30:26 – more on pan-vaccines; immunology x global health crosstalk

45:10 – what's next?

47:51 – closing remarks: why you need a mentor

52:20 – outro