Professor Aereas Aung (BME) and his research team are creating a new generation of vaccines that can bypass barriers faced by traditional formulations. 

This project is supported by the Connaught New Researcher Awards, which helps early-career faculty members establish their research programs. Aung is among eight researchers from U of T Engineering who received support in the latest round. 

Despite their broad effectiveness, a common shortcoming of many traditional vaccines is that they cannot produce antibodies in body tissues where sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often enter the body. 

“Most current vaccines fail to produce sufficient antibodies within mucosal tissues, leaving a significant gap in our defense against sexually transmitted infections,” says Aung.  

“Our goal is to develop a novel strategy that leverages the strengths of parenteral vaccination while also targeting the mucosal immune system.” 

Normally vaccines are injected parenterally, meaning it could be injected under or into the skin, into the muscle, or into the bloodstream directly. They would then travel to lymph nodes, which are small glands that help produce antibodies. Mucosal tissues in the cervix and rectum present a unique challenge since the mucus in these areas can break down the vaccine quickly and wash it away, making it difficult to reach the lymph nodes and be effective. 

Aung’s research proposes using a protein carrier to fuse with the disease antigens, allowing it to reach distant mucosal lymph nodes after injection.  

“We aim to incorporate potent immunostimulatory components into our antigen construct, optimizing its distribution and enhancing mucosal antibody responses,” says Aung.  

“If successful, this work could lay the foundation for more effective vaccines that curb the spread of STIs, particularly in marginalized communities disproportionately affected by these diseases.” 

The other seven projects from U of T Engineering supported by the Connaught New Researcher Awards are:  

• Integrated hydrological-statistical method and tool for landslide susceptibility mapping in a changing climate — Professor Mohammed Basheer (CivMin)  

• Development of equitable pulse oximeters — Professor Daniel Franklin (BME)  

• Open Plenums & Indoor Environments (OPEN): Evaluating the Impact of Return Air Systems on Indoor Environmental Quality — Professor Sarah Haines (CivMin) 

• Productively Surmounting the Memory Wall with Task Parallelism — Professor Mark Jeffrey (ECE) 

• Affinity-directed dynamic polymer materials for biomarker sensing — Professor Caitlin Maikawa (BME)  

• Learning the Language of Metal-Organic Frameworks Topology — Professor Mohamad Moosavi (ChemE)  

• But I could be fired! How early career engineers hold the public paramount from organizationally subordinate locations — Professor Cindy Rottmann (ISTEP)