Children’s Research Seminar Series: “Environmental Determinants of RTS,S Malaria Vaccine Efficacy in Children: Investigating Correlates of Protection and Perivaccination Influences”

Dr. Sahal Thahir is a Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with research interests in vaccine immunology and global health. As a researcher in the Infectious Disease Ecology and Epidemiology Lab (IDEEL), he integrates systems serology, molecular epidemiology, and computational modeling to assess immune responses to early childhood vaccines. His current research focuses on how environmental factors shape immune signatures following RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccination in Kenyan infants, examining how baseline micronutrient deficiencies and co-infections modulate humoral and cellular responses. By identifying immune correlates of protection and mechanisms underlying vaccine hyporesponsiveness in high-burden settings, his work aims to inform strategies for improving malaria vaccine efficacy in vulnerable populations.

Please contact childrensresearch@med.unc.edu for Zoom details.

• Thahir-Sahal_CRI-Flyer-4.-8.-25.pdf