Translational Research - Université de Genève

Vaccinology
Claire-Anne Siegrist
Departments of Pathology and Immunology
Department of Pediatrics
WHO Collaborative Center for Vaccine Immunology
Claire-Anne Siegrist graduated in 1983. She trained in paediatrics, infectious diseases and
immunology prior to dedicating her professional life to all aspects of vaccinology. Associate
Professor of Vaccinology (2000) and full Professor of Paediatrics (2006), she is President of the
Swiss National Advisory Committee on Immunization (2004), member of the UK National
Committee (2008) and of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization
(2010). She leads the InfoVac expert network (www.infovac.ch), has developed vaccinology
clinical decision support software for health care professionals (www.viavac.ch), and is the
founder of the Swiss Electronic Vaccination Record (www.myvaccines.ch)..
Vaccine immunology from early life to vaccine safety
Our research focusses on i) neonatal immunology in order to understand the postnatal
development process of the immune system and how it is regulated to control early life
immune responses to foreign antigens; ii) vaccine immunology through which we study the
mode of action of current and novel vaccines to identify strategies capable of strengthening
immune competence, especially in the very young and iii) clinical vaccinology to understand
the determinants of vaccine responses in patients with varying levels of immune competence
because of age, underlying disease or immunosuppression, and thus identify optimal
strategies.
66 Université de Genève • Faculté de médecine
Siegrist CA, van Delden C, Bel M, Combescure C, Delhumeau C, Cavassini M, Clerc O, Meier S,
Hadaya K, Soccal PM, Yerly S, Kaiser L, Hirschel B and A. Calmy (2012) Higher memory
responses in HIV-infected and kidney transplanted patients than in healthy subjects
following priming with the pandemic vaccine. Plos One 7:e40428
Kamath AT, Mastelic B, Christensen D, Rochat AF, Agger EM, Pinschewer DD, Andersen P,
Lambert PH and Siegrist CA (2012) Synchronization of DC activation and antigen exposure
is required for the induction of Th1/Th17 responses. J Immunol. 188:4828-37
Belnoue E, Tougne C, Rochat AF, Lambert PH, Pinschewer DD and Siegrist CA (2012) Homing and
adhesion patterns determine the cellular composition of the bone marrow plasma cell
niche. J Immunol. 188:1283-91.
Gabay C, Bel M, Combescure C, Ribi C, Meier S, Posfay-Barbe K, Grillet S, Seebach JD, Kaiser L,
Wunderli W, Guerne PA and Siegrist CA (2011) Impact of synthetic and biological disease
modifying antirheumatic drugs on antibody responses to the ASO3-adjuvanted pandemic
influenza vaccine. Arthritis & Rheumatism 63:1486-96.
Kamath AT, Rochat AF, Christensen D, Agger EM, Andersen P, Lambert PH, Siegrist CA. A
Liposome-based mycobacterial vaccine induces potent adult and neonatal multifunctional
T cells through the exquisite targeting of dendritic cells. PLoS One 4:e5771
Kamath AT, Rochat AF, Valenti MP, Agger EM, Lingnau K, Andersen P, Lambert PH, Siegrist CA
(2008) Adult-like anti-mycobacterial T cell and in vivo dendritic cell responses following
neonatal immunization with Ag85B-ESAT-6 in the IC31 adjuvant. PLoS ONE 3:e3683.
Belnoue E, Pihlgren M, McGaha TL, Tougne C, Rochat AF, Bossen C, Schneider P, Huard B, Lambert
PH, Siegrist CA (2008) APRIL is critical for plasmablast survival in the bone marrow and
poorly expressed by early life bone marrow stromal cells. Blood 111:2755-64.
Contact: Claire-Anne.Siegrist@unige.ch
Vaccinology
Université de Genève • Faculté de médecine
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