Research Project - DC3

I’m Laura, from France. I hold a Master’s degree in Integrated Management of Zoonoses and Tropical Animal Diseases from the National Veterinary School of Toulouse (ENVT). My PhD project focuses on evaluating poultry vaccines, aiming to adapt immunological assays from human to animal research to better understand immune responses to avian influenza vaccination. I’m based at the University of Siena in Italy, under the supervision of Claudia M. Trombetta and co-supervision of Silvia Grappi. Outside of my research, I’ve been a volunteer and first-aid trainer with the French Red Cross for over eight years. I’m always on the move, and my parents affectionately call me their globe trotter!

DC3 — Evaluation of poultry vaccines: translating human immunology assays to animals

DC3 adapts and applies a suite of human vaccine-immunology assays to poultry to better define correlates of protection against H5/H9. Traditional serology (HI, SRH, VN) is complemented by neuraminidase-focused ELLA and exploratory cell-mediated immunity (CMI) readouts (e.g., PBMC-based assays). Samples come from vaccinated/unvaccinated turkeys and chickens (IZSVe, IAV) and CEVA (for PBMC).

By comparing humoral and cellular responses—including cross-reactivity to heterologous strains—DC3 aims to clarify which biomarkers best reflect protection in birds. Secondments at VM (advanced multiplex platforms) and CEVA (CMI sampling) help deliver a practical immunogenicity toolkit for evaluating and improving avian influenza vaccines.