Autoimmune Life Blog

Each summer, BRI hosts undergraduate interns from universities across the country. They join various BRI labs and departments to take on research projects with mentorship from our scientists. Meet this year's interns and learn about the exciting projects they worked on.

Before medicines become widely available, they have to be rigorously tested — first in the lab, then in people through clinical trials.

BRI was formed with a clear plan: First, answer key fundamental questions about the immune system. Then, build on those answers to change lives. This is a very exciting time because we’re reaching that second stage of the plan.

As the next chapter of COVID-19 unfolds, we’re hearing that the virus will likely become endemic (in the northern hemisphere) — and it will be part of life for the foreseeable future.

Understanding how viruses impact the immune system has long been a focus at BRI. Two years of pandemic life have made answering two questions particularly important: Can respiratory viruses like the common cold or COVID-19 start the chain reaction that leads to immune system disease?

BRI’s newest principal investigator, Carmen Mikacenic, MD, is used to working with dangerous pathogens. Still, when she started studying aspects of COVID-19, she took extra precautions.