Centre for Global Vaccine Research

The Centre is built on the success of the international clinical vaccine research conducted in Malawi, with leadership in the areas of rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines. The work in the Centre covers a wide range of human and animal pathogens, making it one of the rare centres within the UK to promote the global prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases of both humans and animals.

Research Highlights

COVID-19: Longer interval between doses boosts immunity

A new preprint study involving University of Liverpool researchers found that after two doses, the longer dosing interval led to higher antibody levels and a higher proportion of ‘helper’ T cells, which support immune memory and antibody response. Read More..

Zika Vaccine Development

Our researchers have developed a novel Zika vaccine that will enter phase I clinical testing in early 2022. Supported by a £4.7 million Innovate-UK award, the research led by the University and partners at Public Health England use the viral vector, Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA), to deliver a number of Zika antigens that are shown to induce robust antibody and cellular responses. Read More..

Shigella

A Shigella surveillance programme in Malawi is led by Prof Nigel Cunliffe (former CGVR director) and Dr Kate Baker (CGVR Theme Lead in Microbioal Genomics). The project is part of The Enterics for Global Heath Study, a large global research programme funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Read more..

Pneumococcal Research

Working to determine the various bacterial factors and host conditions that lead to pneumococcal disease and informing the design of more effective pneumococcal treatments and vaccines. Read More..

Typhoid Vaccine in Africa

Recruiting and vaccinating over 24,000 children in Blantyre, Malawi after the first child in Africa was vaccinated using a new generation of typhoid vaccines in 2018. 
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Rotavirus Vaccines

Showing that rotavirus vaccination reduced infant diarrhoea deaths by a third in rural Malawi and providing the first population-level evidence from a low-income country that rotavirus vaccination saves lives. Read More..

African Animal Trypanosomiasis

Evaluating novel vaccine candidates for African animal trypanosomiasis, focusing on proteins expressed by the parasite only while it inhabits the tsetse fly. Read More..

River blindness vaccine

Through The Onchocerciasis Vaccine for Africa (TOVA) initiative, researchers have been working towards the development of a vaccine against river blindness. Three vaccine candidates have been selected based on their ability to evoke strong protective responses capable of reducing parasite burden of immunised animals by more than 90%. Read More..