Dr Jean-Philippe Julien

Country: Canada

Institution: The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute

Research Areas: Structural immunology, antibody-antigen interactions, vaccine design, malaria, HIV, antibody therapeutics

Lab Website: https://lab.research.sickkids.ca/julien

Our laboratory pursues a global research program in structural immunology, which applies x-ray crystallography, electron microscopy and biophysical methods to investigate immunological processes and inform the design of biomedical interventions. A major focus of the laboratory is to use integrative structural biology approaches and biophysical techniques to characterize antigens from the parasite that causes malaria. This molecular definition of immunity provides the blueprints to engineer immunogens that can be tested as vaccines. We also seek to better understand the molecular events of B-cell activation in natural immunity and upon vaccination. This work uncovers the fundamental principles to guide the design of immune-modulators that can drive higher B-cell activation in response to vaccines. In addition, our molecular work characterizing B-cell receptors has the potential to inform how to better dampen autoimmune reactions or B-cell malignancies (e.g. leukemia, lymphoma) therapeutically.