SEX AND AGE DIFFERENCES IN IMMUNITY TO INFLUENZA (SADII) LEADERSHIP ADMINISTRATIVE CORE SUMMARY The primary goal of the SCORE on Sex and Age Differences in Immunity to Influenza (SADII) is to systematically evaluate sex differences in vaccine-induced immune responses across the life course, with consideration of the role that hormones, genes, age, and frailty play as independent and combined mediating factors. The primary objective of the SADII Leadership Administrative Core (LAC) is to provide centralized management, leadership, rigor, sharing, and dissemination of the data from the proposed Research Projects and Cores in the SADII SCORE. This objective will be met by accomplishing three specific aims.
Aim 1 will be to provide a centralized, structured administration for all SADII SCORE investigators. The SADII SCORE will be physically housed within the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (MMI) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and through the SADII Career Enhancement Core, will be integrated with the Johns Hopkins BIRCWH program and the Johns Hopkins Center for Women?s Health, Sex, and Gender Research (JH-CWHSGR).
Aim 2 will be to provide scientific leadership for the SADII SCORE program. The SADII LAC will ensure rigor in the research conducted, dissemination of the research results to the greater scientific community, mentoring of junior faculty new to the study of sex as a biological variable, and integration of the SADII SCORE into the conceptual framework and teachings at Johns Hopkins University.
Aim 3 of the SADII LAC will seek to enhance dissemination of research findings from the SADII SCORE to the Johns Hopkins research community, broader scientific community, and governmental decision bodies determining influenza vaccine strains and platforms. Dissemination of research findings from the SADII SCORE will involve diverse platforms, including, but not limited to: 1) presentation and dissemination of results at the annual JH-CWHSGR symposium, national and international meetings of professional societies, and the annual meeting of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences, which is an international research society, for which Dr. Sabra Klein is President (2018-2020); 2) embedding the concept of sex as a biological variable into the Johns Hopkins graduate and medical school curriculum; 3) establishment of a rigorous publication plan that will ensure that publications of research, ideas, and information derived from the SADII SCORE will appropriately acknowledge SADII for its contribution; 4) development of an informational website for the SADII SCORE that links to other related websites both within and outside of Johns Hopkins; and 5) social media engagement for immediate dissemination of SADII research, presentations, and activities. The Program Director (Dr. Sabra Klein) and Co-Director (Dr. Patricia Gearhart) have the research expertise and leadership skills to ensure that the overarching goals of the SADII SCORE are met and exceeded.
SADII SCORE LEADERSHIP ADMINISTRATIVE CORE (LAC) NARRATIVE The Sex and Age Differences in Immunity to Influenza (SADII) SCORE LAC will provide centralized management, leadership, mentoring, sharing, and dissemination of the data from the proposed Research Projects and Cores in the SADII SCORE. The structure and oversight of the SADII SCORE LAC will allow for continuous evaluation and improvement of research plans, protocols, career enhancement, publications, and organization to allow for growth of investigators in SADII. The SADII SCORE LAC is organized to ensure dissemination of research findings from the SADII SCORE to the Johns Hopkins research community, broader scientific community, and governmental decision bodies determining influenza vaccine strains and platforms.
