IDCRC Newsletter: May 2025

IDCRC Launches Phase 1 Clinical Trial for Experimental Malaria Vaccine (LARC2 Study)

The Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC) is excited to announce the launch of a Phase 1 clinical trial for an innovative malaria vaccine. This study aims to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the Sanaria® PfSPZ-LARC2 vaccine, which is a late-arresting, replication-competent, genetically attenuated form of Plasmodium falciparum, through controlled human malaria infection in malaria-naïve healthy adults.

"More than 500,000 children die every year from malaria and therefore making a vaccine that is highly effective at preventing these infections is a major global goal. This vaccine study builds on decades of experience with early-arresting sporozoite vaccines and makes use of cutting-edge molecular technologies used to engineer this candidate product. Using the safe and effective human challenge model, we will be able to quickly evaluate the late-attenuated LARC2 sporozoite vaccine as we work to decipher the keys to anti-malarial immunity and to identify highly effective products that could change the way we fight malaria globally."
—Sean Murphy, MD/PhD, co-protocol chair, professor, department of laboratory medicine and pathology, University of Washington

The IDCRC is conducting the study in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. For details, visit ClinicalTrials.gov and search for the identifier NCT06735209.

Participating IDCRC study site:

University of Washington Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit

READ FULL ANNOUNCEMENT

IDCRC Admin Profile: Rashidat Ayantunji

Rashidat Ayantunji joined the IDCRC Administrative Team as a project director in January 2025. She has over twenty years of experience working in biomedical research and occupational health at Emory University, along with previous experience in global health and international relations. Her primary responsibilities include providing administrative support to the LG’s Clinical Operations Unit (COU), as well as other important LG functions like the contracting process and network communications.

"I find it valuable to be part of the IDCRC, which is dedicated to vaccine research aimed at combating infectious diseases and reducing morbidity and mortality. And I am proud of my contribution to this effort. I contributed to the annual meeting and particularly enjoyed the presentation from the VTEUs ID researchers; it was the highlight of my first annual meeting experience! The sharing of concepts and achievements during the sessions was truly enlightening," shares Rashidat.

READ RASHIDAT'S PROFILE

2025 Annual Meeting

Thank you for attending the 2025 Annual Meeting!

From April 30 to May 1, the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC) held its Annual Meeting on the NIH Campus at Fisher Lane in Maryland. The campus atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm, turning it into a hub of innovation and collaboration. About 200 attendees from the IDCRC, Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEU), and NIAID’s Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) partners—gathered in person and virtually to celebrate remarkable breakthroughs in infectious diseases research. The event created dynamic networking opportunities for all participants, making it a memorable experience.

"The 2025 IDCRC Annual Meeting was a great success. Attendees heard about cutting-edge scientific advances and annual progress from VTEU network investigators with a special focus on early stage investigators. IDCRC members and NIH/DMID partners told us they were pleased that science was the highlight of the infectious diseases meeting. The opportunity to catch up in person was also highly valued. Thank you to all meeting planners and attendees for making it a success." —Jodie Dionne, MD, MSPH, Leadership Operations Center (LOC) co-director.

Click below for a full overview of the meeting, VTEU highlights, presentation recaps, and much more!

READ FULL RECAP STORY

Congratulations to the 2025 IDCRC Award Winners!

Congratulations to this year's awardees! Each year, the IDCRC presents annual awards to acknowledge the work of VTEU members who have made exceptional contributions to the IDCRC and VTEU missions. Nominated by fellow VTEU/IDCRC members, this year's winners received their awards at the IDCRC reception, held during the 2025 Annual Meeting.

Keep scrolling to see this year's winners and visit the Annual IDCRC Awards webpage to learn more about these awards.

BEST SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
Flor Munoz, MD, associate professor, Baylor College of Medicine, and MOMI-Vax Study Group

This award recognizes an IDCRC-cited publication in the last year that is considered to have had a high impact on the scientific community and/or has led to policy change.

EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR
Tara (Tia) Babu, MD, MSCI, assistant professor, University of Washington

This award recognizes a recent graduate or current participant of the IDCRC Mentoring Program who has made exceptional contributions to research as it relates to the VTEU and IDCRC missions.

INVESTIGATOR OF THE YEAR
Christina (Kristy) Rostad, MD, associate professor, pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine

This award recognizes a well-established VTEU investigator who has made exceptional contributions to research as it relates to the VTEU and IDCRC missions.

LEADERSHIP GROUP AWARD
Jodi Salim, MPH, administrative director, IDCRC, Emory University

This award honors an IDCRC member who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in their commitment to the IDCRC LG aims.

STAFF STAR (STELLAR TEAM MEMBER ACHIEVING RESULTS) AWARD
Kathryn Jano, research coordinator, NYU Langone Health

This award goes to a VTEU coordinator or administrator whose exceptional contribution has advanced and supported the quality of IDCRC-supported research.

Secondary Research

Secondary Research Resources & Information Webpage

The IDCRC has just launched a new webpage on the website dedicated to Secondary Research. Learn about the following topics, including:

Specimen/data request process
Available specimens
Terms of approval
Study implementation

Head over to this page for more resources and tools!

SECONDARY RESEARCH WEBPAGE

Publications

NOTE: Please include the following citation in any publications resulting from direct or indirect IDCRC support:

"Supported by the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium through the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, under award number UM1AI148684. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."

View recent IDCRC Publications:

Training

May Mentoring Lecture Series

The IDCRC Mentoring Lecture Series brings the IDCRC mentees together with leading experts to discuss topics related to the VTEUs, vaccinology, and clinical trials development and management. Check out our May lecture below!

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare MCDC Lecture Series

May: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: What a Physician Scientist Should Know

Presenter:

Nabile Safdar, MD, MPH, FSIIM, associate chief medical information officer at Emory University

VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

News

IDSA's Let's Talk ID Podcast:
"Measles and the Rise of Vaccine Preventable Diseases"

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, speaks with Adam Ratner, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital and Bellevue Hospital Center, about his book, "Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles" and the rise of vaccine preventable diseases.

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST EPISODE

WMAR-2 ABC Baltimore | Maryland "in pretty good shape" despite measles case due to high vaccination rate

Although measles was considered "eliminated" from the U.S. 25 years ago, in recent years, epidemiologists could see the writing on the wall. Vaccination rates were starting to dip in the U.S., and cases were beginning to rise globally. An outbreak was likely.

Screenshot of James Campbell interview with WMAR-2

"It's the most contagious germ that we know of," Dr. James Campbell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital and a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said. "90% of people who are susceptible who are in the same room within 2 hours of somebody who has measles will get measles."

WATCH INTERVIEW & READ ARTICLE

Zanthia Wiley receives Fellowship in AFMR (FAFMR) Distinction

Congratulations to former IDCRC mentee, Zanthia Wiley, MD, (Emory University) on being named a recipient of a Fellowship of the American Federation for Medical Research (FAFMR). Dr. Wiley was one of 12 American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR) members selected for this new honor. Dr. Wiley also serves as AFMR's 2024-2025 President.

This prestigious recognition is the highest honor that the AFMR can bestow upon its members, acknowledging significant contributions in research, leadership, volunteer activities and service within the AFMR and is reserved for physicians, medical scientists and researchers who excel in these fields, align with the organization’s interests, and whose accomplishments support the objectives of the AFMR.

Job Postings

Newly Posted! Infectious Diseases Research Job Openings

Visit the IDSA Career Center to browse other ID/HIV Medicine job postings.

Funding Opportunities

Harrington Discovery Institute: Harrington Scholar-Innovator – LOI Deadline: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Calling outstanding physician-scientists whose work includes: advancing standard of care, addressing unmet medical needs, and potential for commercial development, etc. Up to 12 awards will be given to MDs or MD/PhDs:a two-year grant with a $100,000 guaranteed award. Learn more.

NIBIB, NEI, NIA: Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) –Due Monday, June 16, 2025
New and early-stage investigators can pursue research programs that integrate engineering and physical sciences with life and/or biomedical sciences. Projects may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact, and may be technology design-directed, discovery-drive, or hypothesis-driven. No preliminary data are required, expected, or encouraged. Learn more.

Michelson Medical Research Foundation: Next Generation Grants –Due Thursday, June 22, 2025
These $150,000 1-year research grants support promising researchers applying disruptive concepts and inventive processes to advance human immunology, vaccine discovery, and immunotherapy research for major global diseases. Learn more.

Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) Vaccine –Due January 15, 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to highlight NIAID’s interest in supporting research in the areas outlined in the NIAID Strategic Plan For Research To Develop A Valley Fever Vaccine. The proposed research should have clear relevance to the strategic priorities defined in the strategic plan, which encompasses three major research areas: 1) address gaps in Coccidioides basic research to support the development of a vaccine; 2) develop tools and resources to support vaccine development; 3) develop and advance vaccines to prevent coccidioidomycosis.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Using Targeted Degradation of Protein and non-Protein Targets for the Development of Novel Anti-Infectives – Due July 17, 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to invite applications for research on the use of targeted protein and nonprotein degradation (e.g., RNA) as it relates to the development of anti-infective strategies against viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal pathogens and/or their toxins (e.g., Lethal and Edema Toxins of Bacillus anthracis). Both novel monofunctional (e.g., Molecular Glues) and hetero-bi/tri-functional (e.g., PROTAC or PROTAC-like) strategies will be considered.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research to Stimulate Development of Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Vaccines for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) – Due April 6, 2027
This notice of special interest (NOSI) encourages applications which are focused on development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for herpes simplex virus (HSV). In September 2023, the NIH released the NIH Strategic Plan for HSV Research. The strategic plan focuses on four strategic priorities: HSV virology basic research, better HSV diagnostics, strategies to address HSV treatment and cure, and research to prevent HSV infection. This NOSI focuses on furthering the development of new products for prevention of HSV infection, as well as improving the diagnosis and treatment of patients living with herpes, addressing three of these four strategic priorities.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Systems Modeling of Infection and Immunity Across Biological Scales – Due September 8, 2027
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to announce that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is encouraging applications to advance research activities relevant to systems modeling of infection and immunity. Recipients will collaborate with the Center of Excellence (CoE) for Systems Modeling of Infection and Immunity across Biological Scales (U54 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) described in RFA-AI-23-077. The CoE will coordinate the program, working with NIAID, and set up collaborations with recipients to participate in CoE activities.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Universal Influenza Vaccine – Due November 17, 2027
The objective of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to support research that contributes to the areas of interest outlined in NIAID’s Strategic Plan for the Development of a Universal Influenza Vaccine. The proposed research should have clear relevance to the research objectives defined in the strategic plan, which encompasses three major research areas: Improve understanding of transmission, natural history and pathogenesis of influenza virus infection; characterize influenza immunity and correlates of immune protection; and support rational design of universal influenza vaccines.

IDCRC Studies

Active Studies
Recruiting Volunteers

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, Immunogenicity, and Efficacy of Sanaria(R) PfSPZ-LARC2 Vaccine, a Late-Arresting, Replication-Competent, Genetically Attenuated Plasmodium Falciparum Vaccine by Controlled Human Malaria Infection in Malaria-Naïve Healthy Adults
Conditions (DMID 23-0010)
Efficacy Study of IM Administered CssBA+dmLT Against Moderate-severe Diarrhea in Human Infection Model With ETEC Strain B7A in Healthy Adults (DMID 23-0006)
A Phase 1 Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of an Inactivated West Nile Virus Vaccine, HydroVax-001B WNV in Healthy Adults (DMID 24-0008)
A Phase 4 Study of a 3-Day vs. 7-Day Regimen of Doxycycline for the Treatment of Chlamydial Infection (DMID 22-0019)

Fully Enrolled Studies
in Follow-up

Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity of Dose Reduction Strategies of the MVA-BN Monkeypox Vaccine (DMID 22-0020A)
A Phase 1, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study to Assess the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of a Single Ascending Dose of EV-D68-228 in Healthy Adult Volunteers (DMID 23-0005)
A Prospective, Randomized, Open-label Phase 4 Study of the Immunology and Safety of Maternal RSV Vaccination (ABRYSVOTM), Infant Nirsevimab (BEYFORTUSTM) Immunization, or Both Products During the First Year of Life (PROMISE) (DMID 24-0003)

IDCRC ACTIVE AND COMPLETED STUDIES