Current:
PhD Student, Molecular Biosciences PhD Program
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Past:
BS, Biotechnology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Herrera Lab Research Interests:
In regions where dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses co-circulate, unraveling the effects of sequential flavivirus infections on immunity is essential—but remains poorly understood. Sebastian’s PhD research uniquely integrates globally sourced human samples with mechanistic mouse models to uncover how the order and combination of flavivirus exposures shape long-term antibody and T cell memory. By defining the immunological "imprint" left by past flavivirus infections, this work aims to resolve when cross-reactivity is protective versus pathogenic. These insights have direct implications for next-generation vaccine design, especially in populations with complex exposure histories that current vaccines were not built to address.