When Neutralizing Isn’t Enough: The Immunology of Alphavirus Defense

The hosts sit down with Dr. Julie Fox, Chief of the Emerging Virus Immunity Unit at NIAID, National Institutes of Health, to explore the science of alphavirus immunity and what antibodies really do in the context of alphavirus infection.From chikungunya virus and its debilitating joint disease to broader mosquito-borne alphaviruses, Dr. Fox explains why these viruses are powerful models for studying immune protection. We move beyond the traditional view of antibodies as simple neutralizers and examine Fc-mediated effector functions, viral escape, and how mechanistic immunology informs the design of more durable vaccines and antibody therapies.Dr. Fox also shares her path into government research, what it takes to launch a lab at NIH, and the training programs available for graduate students and aspiring biologists interested in infectious disease research.