Ep48 - Improving the Dengue Vaccine

Dr. Emil Joseph Vergara, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, shares his journey from veterinary medicine to vaccine research. With a Ph.D. in immunology, Dr. Vergara discusses his work on improving dengue vaccines and the challenges faced during the pandemic. He also offers valuable advice for aspiring researchers, emphasizing the importance of finding a research niche, collaborating with mentors, and navigating the complexities of vaccine development. Watch to learn more about his impactful work in immunology and vaccine science. ⌛Chapters 0:00 Meet Dr. Emil Vergara 1:29 From veterinary medicine to pursuing immunology 4:05 Transitioning to research 11:14 Working on the dengue vaccine 12:54 Dengvaxia controversy 19:20 Improving vaccine formulations 26:32 My PhD experience and research collaboration 38:26 Advice to aspiring researchers 43:12 About the Erasmus Mundus program 📚Reference: Kim, M.-Y., Vergara, E., Tran, A., Paul, M.J., Kwon, T.-H., Ma, J.K.C., Jang, Y.-S. and Reljic, R. (2024), Marked enhancement of the immunogenicity of plant-expressed IgG-Fc fusion proteins by inclusion of cholera toxin non-toxic B subunit within the single polypeptide. Plant Biotechnol. J, 22: 1402-1416. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14275. 🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, and Liknayan Podcast.