Dr. Heather L. Wilson completed her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Saskatchewan and joined VIDO as a Research Scientist in 2006. Her current research focus involves investigating alternative vaccine formulations or routes of immunization for pig vaccines. For example, her lab collaborates with the Khatooni lab to investigate whether yeasts can be used to deliver vaccine antigens on their surface, to acts as an oral vaccine. She is also studying using intrauterine immunization to promote mucosal immunity, using pig as an animal model. Pigs are ideal because a sow’s cervix is permissive to catheters during standing estrous and they are routinely artificially inseminated using this procedure meaning vaccination into the uterus is in line with animal husbandry practises. She also researches adjuvant mechanism of action and vaccine formulation.
Research Interests:
- Design of mucosal vaccines using non-traditional routes of immunization and/or vaccine formulations including yeast-based vaccines
- Determine the regional and age-dependent differences in intestinal permeability to macromolecules and maternal cells
- Establishing vaccine adjuvant mechanisms of action
Current Projects:
- Development of novel combination adjuvants
- Development of novel vaccine for newborns against Lawsonia intracellularis (Ileitis)
- Early life intestinal immunity in pigs
- Intrauterine immunization – a novel approach to induce mucosal immunity in the reproductive tract
- Quantum Computing to accelerate the design of effective infectious disease vaccines
- Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea