Carolina Lucas, PhD

The Lucas laboratory studies human immune responses to viral infections and vaccines, with a particular interest in understanding how immune history shapes the magnitude, quality, and durability of subsequent immune responses. Our research focuses on the development and maintenance of immunological memory, antibody and cellular immunity, mucosal immune responses, and the mechanisms underlying protection and disease. We are also interested in how these responses change across the lifespan, particularly how aging influences B cell function, immune memory, and the ability to generate protective responses to infection and vaccination. By integrating longitudinal human cohorts with mechanistic and experimental approaches, we investigate how prior infections, vaccinations, and age shape immunity to emerging and re-emerging viruses, with the ultimate goal of informing the development of more effective vaccines and immunological interventions.