Joel Sop
I study whether the regular flu shot that millions of people get every year might also provide some protection against pandemic bird flu, specifically H5N1, which has a mortality rate over 50% in humans. While seasonal flu vaccines don’t produce antibodies against H5N1, I discovered that they do generate T cells, a different arm of the immune system that can recognize and respond to H5N1.
Using T cell receptor sequencing, I found that about two-thirds of the T cells responding to seasonal flu also cross-recognize H5N1, even though H5N1 isn’t in the vaccine. This happens because these T cells target conserved regions that are similar between seasonal flu and pandemic strains.
This matters for pandemic preparedness. If H5N1 ever starts spreading among humans, populations that receive annual flu vaccines may have a baseline of cellular immunity that could reduce severe disease, even without H5N1-specific vaccines being immediately available.
I conducted this research in Dr. Joel Blankson’s lab in the Department of Medicine, which is known for HIV immunology but has been expanding into broader questions about cross-reactive immunity across viral pathogens.
Questions & Answers
Why did you choose Johns Hopkins for your work?
I’m in the inaugural cohort of the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative, which trains Ph.D. students to become leaders in their field. That program was a huge draw.
I also wanted to work with Dr. Blankson. He figured out why some people naturally control HIV without drugs. The way he approaches immunology, asking why some immune responses work and others don’t, was exactly what I wanted to learn.
Also, everyone I talked to during recruitment mentioned how collaborative Hopkins is, and that turned out to be true. This influenza project involved collaborations across multiple labs and cores. People here genuinely help each other succeed, which isn’t always the case at research institutions.
What does receiving this award mean to you personally and professionally? Do you have any connection with the particular award you received?
I had to look up who Paul Ehrlich was when I found out I won. Turns out he basically invented immunology. His work on immune memory and cross-reactivity from over 100 years ago is still very relevant to what I’m doing today.
What contributed to your project’s success? (Special skills, interests, opportunities, guidance, etc.)
Good mentorship from Dr. Blankson. Reading a lot of papers helped me see the gap in the field. And timing, too — with H5N1 outbreaks in U.S. dairy cattle, the work felt relevant, and people were paying attention to pandemic preparedness.
What thoughts do you have about Young Investigators’ Day itself, as a celebration of the roles students and fellows play in research at Johns Hopkins?
I love that it brings together researchers from completely different fields. You see the breadth of science happening at Hopkins that you’d never encounter otherwise because everyone’s working in their own area. It’s a good reminder of how much is going on beyond your own project.
What has been your best/most memorable experience while at Johns Hopkins?
Publishing my first first-author paper early in my Ph.D., about a year and a half in. A lot of us deal with imposter syndrome during grad school, so getting that first paper accepted in Cell Reports Medicine was validating. It proved I could do the work at this level.
What are your plans over the next year or so? Graduating, looking for faculty positions, etc.?
I’m defending this spring and moving to industry. Looking at positions in vaccine development and antiviral therapeutics.
Tell me something interesting about yourself that makes you unique. Do you have any special hobbies, interests or life experiences?
My first language is French, so I think in French and translate most things to English. But most people cannot tell. More importantly, I’ve been to almost every Beyoncé show since I started walking. I’m not kidding.