Yellow4FLAVI welcomes a new Associated Partner: Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)

Dr. Rajagopal Murugan

The Yellow4FLAVI consortium is delighted to announce the official integration of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) as a new Associated Partner, formalised through Amendment No. 2 to the project's Grant Agreement, signed in April 2026.  

LUMC joins the consortium through the Molecular Immunology team led by Dr. Rajagopal Murugan, a B cell immunologist whose research focuses on uncovering the fundamental principles that govern effective and durable B cell immunity in humans following infection or vaccination. His team develops innovative multi-omics approaches, complemented by advanced bioinformatics pipelines, to characterise immune response quality at the level of single B cells and monoclonal antibodies — an expertise that is directly aligned with Yellow4FLAVI's scientific objectives. 

What makes LUMC's contribution particularly unique is the history of collaboration with scientists leading YFV17D vaccination studies in sub-Saharan Africa populations that have been largely underrepresented in previous flavivirus vaccine studies. By closely working together with scientists in KCMC, Tanzania and MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, LUMC provides the consortium with an unprecedented window into how geography, environment, and pre-existing immunological conditions shape the response to yellow fever vaccination: 

The CapTan cohort includes samples from YFV17D vaccinated healthy Tanzanian vaccinees from both rural and urban Moshi (Northern Tanzania), enabling the study of how geographical and environmental factors influence antibody responses. The POPVAC cohort provides samples from YFV17D vaccinated schoolchildren in rural Schistosoma-endemic areas and less endemic urban areas of Uganda, allowing the consortium to investigate how ongoing immunomodulatory helminth infections — such as schistosomiasis — affect B cell-mediated vaccine immunity. 

LUMC will lead Task 2.7, conducting serological characterisation of the Tanzanian CapTan cohort to measure antibody responses against YFV envelope protein constructs at multiple time points post-vaccination. In WP3, LUMC will participate in the phenotyping of B cells and the cloning and functional testing of monoclonal antibodies derived from the Tanzanian and Ugandan vaccinees, using single-cell transcriptomics and CITE-Seq approaches. 

Together, these contributions will help Yellow4FLAVI generate fine-resolution data on YFV17D-induced B cell immunity across diverse human populations — ultimately contributing to our understanding of what makes a vaccine universally effective and informing the design of next-generation flavivirus vaccines. 

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Murugan and the LUMC team into our consortium, bringing together 15 partners. Their expertise and collaborative work with African scientists on unique vaccination studies will be a tremendous asset as we move forward together.