University of Washington — Universal Influenza Vaccines (Neil King)

[Other Scientific Research Areas] Open Philanthropy recommended a grant of $3,230,394 over five years to the University of Washington to support work led by Dr. Neil King on the development of universal influenza vaccine candidates. Following our November 2017 support, the researchers in Dr. King’s lab and their colleagues in Dr. Barney Graham’s and Dr. Masaru Kanekiyo’s groups at the National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center developed a supraseasonal mosaic nanoparticle vaccine against influenza, which has outperformed commercial influenza vaccines in preclinical trials. This funding is intended to support work to develop additional pan-viral vaccine candidates, with the hope that they will provide potent and broad protection against all influenza A and B viruses. This falls within our work on scientific research, specifically within our interest in science supporting biosecurity and pandemic preparedness.