The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston · Microbiology & ImmunologyThe Plague Immunity Lab
Ashok K Chopra · Galveston, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Ashok K Chopra's lab focuses on developing innovative vaccines against the plague by studying the immunological responses in both mice and non-human primates. By identifying new virulence genes of the plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis, the lab aims to create safer and more effective vaccines than those currently available. The research not only enhances our understanding of how to combat this deadly disease but also seeks to address public health risks posed by antibiotic-resistant strains.
plaguevaccine developmentYersinia pestisimmunologyinfectious diseasesnon-human primate studieshumoral immunitycellular immunityantibiotic resistance
Research Aims
5AIM 01Develop novel live-attenuated plague vaccines using targeted gene deletions.
AIM 02Characterize immunological responses elicited by vaccine candidates in mouse models.
AIM 03Investigate the role of specific immune cells in providing protection against plague.
AIM 04Test vaccine efficacy and safety in non-human primate models before clinical trials.
AIM 05Identify correlates of protective immunity to guide future vaccine development.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRanimal modelscell cultureimmunization techniquesflow cytometryantibody response measurementmolecular cloninggene deletion strategiespathogen modeling
Output against the department
Publications314top 15% of dept.73rd of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.3ktop 39% of dept.189th of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.