La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI)

lji.orgCould GLP-1 drugs change how the immune system responds to disease?As GLP-1 medications grow in popularity, LJI researchers are exploring their lesser-understood effects on the immune system.

Could GLP-1s change how the immune system responds to disease? LJI Prof. Alessandro Sette (@settelab.bsky.social) is investigating whether GLP-1 medications change immune cell responses to antigens associated with common infections and neurodegenerative diseases. bit.ly/4zSQoeZ #GLP1 #health

lji.orgKathryn Hastie is exploring a whole new world of virusesThe new Hastie Lab is hunting for the antibodies we need in the fight against growing viral threats.

Kathryn Hastie, Ph.D., was recently named an LJI Research Assistant Professor. Her new lab will focus on “New World” Arenaviruses — a growing threat in the Americas. Hastie is ready for the challenge! She has spent years pushing the boundaries in structural virology. 🔬 Learn more: bit.ly/4z3Kp73

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

iedb.bsky.social

@iedb.bsky.social

Up next at the #IEDB workshop: T Cell Class II Epitope Prediction! Join @bpeters now to learn how to navigate IEDB Class II tools (nextgen-tools.iedb.org) to predict peptide-MHC binding, core motifs, and CD4+ T cell immunogenicity. #Immunology #Bioinformatics #TCells

lji.orgThe freedom to be a physician-scientistSydney Ramirez was told that a career in medicine AND research would be impossible. She’s glad she didn’t listen.

“Being a physician-scientist is an incredibly long and hard road,” says Sydney Ramirez, M.D., Ph.D. “My parents are both physicians. They always told me not to go into medicine unless you really want to—you will have people’s lives in your hands.” bit.ly/4yvzPoY #immunology #health #medicine

luma.comA Changing Climate, A Changing San Diego: Mosquitoes & Infectious Disease · Zoom · LumaClimate change is no longer a distant environmental issue—it is a growing public health challenge for San Diego. Mosquitoes are spreading faster and farther…

San Diego Climate Week is coming up! ☀️ Sign up > for the Oct. 8 talk from LJI Professor Sujan Shresta on the threat of mosquito-borne viruses — and what researchers are doing to fight back! luma.com/nb1ellij #SDClimateWeek #SanDiego #Health #Medicine #Dengue #Zika #Viruses

lji.orgQ&A: Haoyang Li on immunotherapeutic breakthroughs, cutting-edge tech, and what he wants to give the worldLi launches new lab at an exciting time for novel immunotherapeutics and vaccine innovations

LJI's Haoyang Li on starting his own lab: "Scientific research is not easy...I want to build a supportive and fair environment that keeps everyone enjoying science." www.lji.org/news-events/...

Get to know new LJI Research Assistant Prof. Haoyang Li, Ph.D., whose expertise in #virology and #StructuralBiology could lead to life-changing medical advances: www.lji.org/news-events/... #ImmuneSystem #Immunology #VaccineResearch #InfectiousDisease #Immunotherapy

For #WorldRabiesDay, we're share some surprising facts and research updates from LJI's #virology experts. Why rabies? Rabies treatments save lives. They're also inaccessible for most people around the world. LJI scientists are working to change this through new #rabies vaccine research. 1/🧵

Current #rabies vaccines require regular boosters. Why? A big part of the problem is that rabies shape-shifts to avoid the immune system. With a clearer view of the rabies viral structure, scientists can design vaccines that tell the body how to make more durable, neutralizing antibodies. #vaccines

lji.orgRethinking the rabies vaccineLJI scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the Institut Pasteur in France, capture new high-resolution view of rabies virus, revealing potential vaccine targets

Stronger, broader immunity could help people in regular contact with animals, such as veterinarians and wildlife workers, as well as the billions of people who may accidentally come in contact with a rabid animal. Read more about LJI findings: www.lji.org/news-events/... #WorldRabiesDay #rabies

lji.orgParham Ramezani-Rad is decoding how B cells learnThe new Rad Lab at LJI studies the cells behind our antibodies—and aims to guide the development of better vaccines, tests, and treatments.

Your B cells wait, watch, and LEARN. These cells go on an amazing journey to give you the molecular weapons to fight infection! Go inside the fascinating world of #antibodies with new LJI Research Assistant Professor Parham Ramezani-Rad: bit.ly/4hpKr1g #ImmuneSystem #Health #Medicine #Immunology

22 Sept

We’re thrilled to celebrate four LJI researchers named 2026 Scilit Top Cited Scholars: Alessandro Sette, Dr. Biol. Sci., Shane Crotty, Ph.D., Daniela Weiskopf, Ph.D., and Bjoern Peters, Ph.D.! #Immunology #SanDiego #ImmuneSystem #Health #Medicine

22 Sept

We’re proud to see the work of LJI scientists recognized among the world’s most highly cited researchers and to celebrate their continued contributions to #immunology! ✨ @settelab.bsky.social @profshanecrotty.bsky.social @bjoernpeters.bsky.social @weiskopflab.bsky.social

21 Sept

Join us on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. (PT) during SD Climate Week for "A Changing Climate, A Changing San Diego: Mosquitoes & Infectious Disease," featuring LJI Professor Sujan Shresta, Ph.D. 🌎 🦟 Register: luma.com/nb1ellij #SDClimateWeek #SDCW26 #ClimateAction #SanDiego #Health #Medicine

yahoo.comZika vaccine tweak triggered an unexpected immune defenseA modified Zika vaccine protected mice almost entirely through virus-killing CD8 T cells when its antibodies failed to neutralize mature virus effectively. The T-cell protection worked shortly after v...

21 Sept

From @yahoonews.com - LJI scientists show that a potential #Zika virus vaccine can protect via T cells and antibodies www.yahoo.com/news/science... #InfectiousDisease #Virology #Health #Medicine

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

Prof. Shane Crotty

@profshanecrotty.bsky.social

21 Sept

How durable is T cell memory in the human upper airway? Our new preprint directly tracks virus-specific CD8 & CD4 T cells in human nasal tissues for >18 months—using nearly 900 monthly nasal samples. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

asm.orgWhat Counts as a Microbe?The word ‘microbe’ literally means 'small life.' Yet, there are species of microbes that are not microscopic and others that are not alive. So, is 'microbe' helpful shorthand or overly reductive?

17 Sept

How small do you have to be to count as a "microbe?" And do viruses count at all? 🦠 👀 Don't skip this article from @asm.org 👇 #WorldMicrobeDay #Microbiology #Biology #Health #Medicine

ASM@asm.org

Happy #WorldMicroorganismDay! The word ‘microbe’ literally means 'small life.' Yet, there are species of microbes that are not microscopic and others that are not alive. So, what even counts as a microbe? asm.org/articles/202...

onlinelibrary.wiley.comDecoding Immune Cell Doublets in Humans: From Artifacts to InsightsAlthough routinely detected in human blood and tissue samples, immune cell doublets are typically discarded during data acquisition or analysis, often dismissed as technical artifacts arising from ex...

17 Sept

Fascinating new LJI review article — "...Emerging evidence suggests that these immune cell doublets reflect biologically meaningful interactions, offering critical insights into immune communication during health and disease." onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #Immunology #FlowCytometry

We've kicked off the 2026 LEAD Day program! This afternoon features a panel with: 👉 Eric Topol, MD, Scripps Research VP @erictopol.bsky.social 👉 LJI Associate Prof. Ferhat Ay, Ph.D. @ferhatay.bsky.social 👉 Global Autoimmune Disease Assistant Prof. Sam Myers, Ph.D. @samyers-lab.bsky.social 1/🧵

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When it comes to datasets, panel moderator LJI Prof. Shane Crotty (@profshanecrotty.bsky.social) emphasizes that we can learn A LOT by looking beyond blood samples. 🩸 "We've found a lot of power in solving immunological mysteries by actually looking in the site, like a lymphoid node."

As the panel wraps up — thank you to all who attended and asked questions today! We are also grateful to GAI (@autoimmunegai.bsky.social) for generous support of LEAD Day! The LEAD Day program will continue this afternoon with a keynote address from Eric Topol, MD, Vice President at @scripps.edu

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Stopping #AutoimmuneDisease means we need to look at patient data differently. Dr. Ay says the future may rest in continuous health monitoring and AI tools that make it simple to compare a person's health changes over time. "We all need our own baseline."

When it comes to big "blue sky" ideas, Dr. Myers imagines we could learn a lot from routine RNA sequencing of patients, maybe twice a month. "We could ask 'what's the pattern?' and 'does that pattern change?'"

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So what do immunologists still need from the AI world? Dr. Ay investigates how changes at the molecular level affect disease progression. For this, he needs to pair AI tools with longitudinal data sets. "We need to see if what we predict can hold, and that is difficult to do."

Dr. Topol shares his perspective as a cardiologist — He says it's extraordinary that doctors don't have a way to properly understand a patient's immune system function right there at the bedside. #AI tools might help gather valuable patient data, such as a "thymic health score."

Where is #AI proving most useful in the biomedical sciences? Dr. Topol shares how AI tools recently analyzed single cell-level data to reveal unexpected monocyte activity in the brain. "This is amazing, and we wouldn't have known without these kinds of tools," says Dr. Topol.

Dr. Myers says he's been cautious about using #AI tools, but he's seeing more and more evidence that AI can handle the data sets coming out of his lab. "Seeing what it can do now with these deep data sets — it's making more sense to lean in to what it can do."

Our 2026 LEAD Day scientific panel explores how AI, multi-omics, and increasingly data-rich approaches are changing the way we understand and treat #autoimmune and chronic disease. #Immunology #Autoimmunity #Health #Medicine #DataScience #CompBio #AI

As LJI Professor, President & CEO Erica Ollmann Saphire explains, it's time to "examine the tools that are changing how we look at disease itself." #AI #Multiomics #Biomed #Biotech @autoimmunegai.bsky.social

discuss.iedb.orgIEDB User Workshop - October 2026Following the success of the 2020-2025 IEDB Virtual User Workshops, we will once again be bringing the workshop to you, online! In 2026, the IEDB team will be hosting one virtual user workshop over th...

Starting at 1:30pm Pacific today — We'll be live-posting from the LEAD Day scientific panel at Scripps Seaside Forum. ☀️ Stay tuned for #AutoimmuneDisease insights from LJI experts and Dr. Eric Topol (@erictopol.bsky.social)! Made possible by @autoimmunegai.bsky.social

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

iedb.bsky.social

@iedb.bsky.social

14 Sept

Registration is open for the 2026 IEDB Virtual User Workshop! Join us Oct 20–22 (8 AM–12 PM PT). This annual workshop is designed with all users in mind - from those new to the IEDB to those with extensive experience wanting to enhance their research skills. discuss.iedb.org/t/iedb-user-...

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

Cancer Epitope Database & Analysis Resource

@cedar-epitopes.bsky.social

11 Sept

Registration is open for the 2026 IEDB Virtual User Workshop! Join us Oct 20–22 (8 AM–12 PM PT) to master epitope prediction & analysis. Don't miss Day 3 (Oct 22) featuring CEDAR tools for cancer immunology! discuss.iedb.org/t/iedb-user-... #CancerResearch #Immunology #Bioinformatics

nature.comNasal vaccines could stop pandemics before they beginSparking an immune response where microbes enter the body should not only stop a person getting sick, but also prevent them spreading the infection to others.

10 Sept

New in @nature.com — A fascinating look at how research led by LJI Professor Shane Crotty (@profshanecrotty.bsky.social) is shaping a new era for intranasal vaccines: www.nature.com/articles/d41... (paywall) #ImmuneSystem #Immunology #Health #Medicine #Flu #FluShot

youtu.beA bold idea could SPARK the next biomedical breakthrough | 2026 SPARK Awards FinalistsYouTube video by La Jolla Institute for Immunology

9 Sept

The Tullie and Rickey Families SPARK Awards for Innovations in Immunology fuel a remarkable range of research projects! This year, our SPARK finalists aim to explore new ways to combat viral threats, cancers, and even autoimmune disease. 📽️ Learn more youtu.be/a4k9ZKi_HfQ?... #SanDiego #ImmuneSystem

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

Samuel A. Myers' lab

@samyers-lab.bsky.social

6 Sept

With the sensitivity of modern LC-MS, analyzing changes in protein complexes across differing biological systems will lead to false positives from the background proteomes. We provide some work arounds This also allowed us to identify interesting biology concerning OGT-protein complexes #glycotime

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social

Background proteome correction promotes confident identification of dynamic protein-protein interactions between different biological contexts https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.01.748607v1

1 Sept

LJI Postdoc Erik Ehinger, Ph.D., is working to give T cells a boost. 💪 If his strategy succeeds, he could help the immune system fight cancer in an entirely new way. #SanDiego #biotech #biomed #CancerResearch #Health #Medicine

bit.lyExperimental LJI cancer strategy wins top honors from Nucleate San DiegoTeam leader Erik Ehinger, Ph.D., is on a mission to help more patients benefit from cancer immunotherapies.

1 Sept

Ehinger’s work recently won top honors in the Nucleate San Diego Activator Program. These award winnings will help his company, Bendu Therapeutics, move forward with a new drug approach for #cancer immunotherapy patients. 💡 Read more about his work bit.ly/4h7rTD5 #SanDiego #Health #Medicine

lji.orgExperimental LJI cancer strategy wins top honors from Nucleate San DiegoTeam leader Erik Ehinger, Ph.D., is on a mission to help more patients benefit from cancer immunotherapies.

31 Aug

Experimental LJI cancer strategy wins top honors from Nucleate San Diego! Team leader Erik Ehinger, Ph.D., shares how new #cancer strategy could counteract T cell "exhaustion:" www.lji.org/news-events/... #immunology #ImmuneSystem #CancerResearch #SanDiego #LaJolla

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

Waggoner Lab

@labwaggoner.bsky.social

27 Aug

A Zika virus vaccine with E protein fusion loop mutations protects via CD8+ T cells @natmicrobiol.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41... @lji.org

Thousands of people are infected with #Zika virus each year — and MANY more are at risk as Zika-carrying mosquitoes move into new regions 🌎 🦟 Here's a look at Zika by-the-numbers. #Health #Medicine #InfectiousDisease #Viruses #Immunology

lji.orgT cells are a powerful force against Zika virusLJI scientists tested two Zika vaccines, both designed to work through antibodies. One protected through T cells instead—but only the vaccine that mustered both held off the virus for the long haul.

So what can we do to stop #Zika virus? LJI Professor Sujan Shresta and her colleagues have discovered that antibodies and T cells can pair up to fight infection. These LJI scientists are leading the way in #Zika vaccine research. Learn more www.lji.org/news-events/... #health #medicine #SanDiego

bit.lyNew Zika Virus Vaccine Approach Harnesses the Power of T Cells in MiceAn experimental Zika vaccine protected mice through CD8+ T cells, offering a possible way to avoid worsening infection caused by antibody-dependent enhancement.

New #Zika study opens the door to defeating a broad family of viruses 🦠 "The virus belongs to the same mosquito-borne family as dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis viruses, and it is especially similar to #dengue, which spreads in many of the same regions." bit.ly/4hVoQQn

New in @natmicrobiol.nature.com: LJI scientists show how a #Zika vaccine candidate protects by pairing antibodies + T cells. "We need innovative vaccines, and now we know what to focus on.” www.lji.org/news-events/... #health #medicine #ImmuneSystem #antibodies

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

CNAG

@cnag-eu.bsky.social

21 Aug

🚨Don't miss one of the leading events in Spatial Biology! 3rd Conference of the European Society for Spatial Biology 🗓️September 28 – October 1, 2026 📍Sitges (Spain) With the support of CNAG, @ibecbarcelona.eu, @carrerasijc.bsky.social & @lji.org spatialbiologysociety.eu #SpatialBiology #ESSB2026

Mosquitoes are moving into new habitats, and #SanDiego scientists are looking for ways to fight back 🚫🦟 LJI Professor Sujan Shresta, Ph.D., is investigating vaccine strategies to prevent severe cases of mosquito-borne #dengue, #Zika, and related viruses. #WorldMosquitoDay #Health #Medicine 🧵1/3

Dr. Shresta’s research is more urgent than ever. #Dengue virus takes thousands of lives every year around the world + the first-ever locally transmitted dengue cases were reported in #SanDiego County in 2024. #WorldMosquitoDay #Viruses #ImmuneSystem #Immunology

There are no approved vaccines for dengue or Zika virus, but Dr. Shresta is working to change that. Her lab is developing tools to help us fight many mosquito-borne viruses at once. These vaccines would bring us closer to LJI’s mission: Life Without Disease. #WorldMosquitoDay #Health #Medicine

La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) reposted

Gavi

@gavi.org