Ramilo Lab

Overview

Infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young and immunocompromised children. A better understanding of how children respond to infection and vaccines will enable us to develop new strategies to improve outcomes in these vulnerable populations. Our laboratory leverages system analysis tools to study the developing immune responses to pathogens and vaccines.

In the news

The team

The Ramilo lab is composed of motivated scientists interested in understanding the complexities of early life immunity.

Meet the team

Our research summary

Respiratory viruses are a common cause of illness in children, especially infants and immunocompromised children. In most cases, infections are mild but in certain situations they cause severe disease, leading to hospitalization and admission to the ICU. Our laboratory has dedicated over two decades to understanding the factors that determine disease progression and severity.

Our team works in parallel with the Mejias lab to identify the immunologic and virologic protective factors which safeguard children from experiencing severe infection. Novel system analysis tools enable us to investigate immune responses to these infections with an unprecedented level of resolution, opening up new avenues for therapeutic interventions.

Optimizing vaccine strategies

Young and immunocompromised children have burgeoning immune systems, requiring multiple doses of vaccines before achieving full protection against harmful pathogens. However, we still have much to learn about how early and recovering immune systems respond to vaccine-delivered antigens.

To bridge this knowledge gap, we analyzed the transcriptional immune response of children before, during and after their initial round of vaccinations. We discovered abundant heterogeneity in the antibody and immune responses. These studies allowed us to characterize the baseline status of a variety of immune cells and identify ways in which these cell types respond to vaccinations.

Incorporating systems analysis tools

We are committed to identifying, translating and utilizing the latest research technologies in the clinical setting. Transcriptomics and multidimensional analytical strategies are two powerful examples of systems analysis tools that help clinicians diagnose and treat patients more effectively. Our goal is to be on the cutting-edge of this approach – harnessing the power of the latest technologies in both preclinical experiments and clinical trials.

Publications

SARS-CoV-2 induced immune perturbations in infants vary with disease severity and differ from adults' responses

Nehar-Belaid et al. Nat Commun, 2025

Longitudinal humoral analysis in RSV-infected infants identifies pre-existing RSV strain-specific G and evolving cross-reactive F antibodies

Nziza et al. Immunity, 2024

Trends in Age and Disease Severity in Children Hospitalized With RSV Infection Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Garcia-Maurino et al. JAMA Pediatr, 2024

Young infants display heterogeneous serological responses and extensive but reversible transcriptional changes following initial immunizations

Nouri et al. Nat Commun, 2023

Respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2 coinfections in children

Halabi et al. Pediatr Pulmonol, 2022

A safe and highly efficacious measles virus-based vaccine expressing SARS-CoV-2 stabilized prefusion spike

Lu et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2021

Measuring the Burden of RSV in Children to Precisely Assess the Impact of Preventive Strategies

Ramilo et al. Pediatrics, 2020

Immune profiles provide insights into respiratory syncytial virus disease severity in young children

Heinonen et al. Sci Transl Med, 2020

Contact us

Octavio Ramilo, MD
Chair, Department of Infectious Diseases
Member, St. Jude Faculty
MS 320, Room E8050

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN, 38105-3678 USA

(901) 595-3494 octavio.ramilo@stjude.org

Octavio Ramilo Lab