Daniel Sheward

The Cluster of Excellence for GENErative VAccine Development (GENEVA) will combine nucleic acid vaccines and deep learning - both groundbreaking technologies - to elevate vaccine and therapeutic development. New developments in nucleic acid vaccine platforms will be pursued, with generative AI integrated at multiple levels: immunogen design and optimization, interpreting immune responses, and improving the nucleic acid platforms themselves. This will all be grounded in a well-established world-class immune response research program. Together, this will shorten development timelines, enhance pandemic preparedness, and improve vaccine efficacy and safety. The six-month planning phase will focus on i) recruiting partners within Sweden and internationally ii) finalizing the scope of the proposed cluster, iii)  infrastructure needs assessment, iv) interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, and v) investigating the feasibility and strategic importance of an associated Doctoral Program in Scientific Deep Learning. At a time when mRNA vaccine research is under threat in the US, European institutions must step forward and maintain momentum in this field. This planning grant will be critical to the genesis of the GENEVA Cluster of Excellence, which will position Sweden at the forefront of next-generation vaccine and therapeutics research, creating a resilient research ecosystem that addresses priority pathogens and pandemic prevention, while training the next scientific leaders.