Studies of Dengue pathogenesis and vaccines in Vietnam for improved case management and primary prevention .

This fellowship addresses globally important research priorities in dengue pathogenesis and vaccinology as defined in 2006 by the WHO Dengue Scientific Working Group . The proposed research will be conducted in the setting of the Wellcome Trust Vietnam Major Overseas Programme and represents a continuation of studies begun in my Career Development Fellowship. In four complementary and multidisciplinary streams of activity, I will lead research designed to- a) identify early viral and host progno stic markers of dengue shock syndrome (DSS), the most common serious clinical event in dengue disease, b) construct classification algorithms for early identification of patients at risk of DSS, c) identify immune correlates of immunity and disease in a large, prospective birth cohort study and d) assess the safety and immunogenicity of a novel, live-attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine in Vietnamese volunteers. The potential outcomes from these studies include changes to triage management of d engue patients, new diagnostic/prognostic point of care tests, well-defined correlates of immunity and disease that will inform future vaccine trials and an evidence base to justify further development of a dengue vaccine in Vietnam.