UTMB Scientists Leverage AI to Develop Next-Generation Vaccines Against Emerging Alphaviruses

UTMB Scientists Leverage AI to Develop Next-Generation Vaccines Against Emerging Alphaviruses

BioEngineer.org - April 9, 2026

A team of researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch, spearheaded by Dr. Nikos Vasilakis and Dr. Peter McCaffrey, has unveiled a groundbreaking computational pipeline. designed to accelerate vaccine development against alphaviruses—a group of mosquito-borne pathogens responsible for diseases such as chikungunya and equine encephalitis. This pioneering approach leverages the synergy of machine learning, structural biology, and laboratory validation, revolutionizing how scientists identify multi-virus vaccine candidates.

About The University of Texas Medical Branch

The first academic health center in Texas opened its doors in 1891 and today has four campuses, five health sciences schools, seven institutes for advanced study, a research enterprise that includes one of only two national laboratories dedicated to the safe study of infectious threats to human health, a Level 1 Trauma Center and a health system offering a full range of primary and specialized medical services throughout the Texas Gulf Coast region. UTMB is an institution in The University of Texas System and a member of the Texas Medical Center.

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