Preparing for Future Pandemics - The Aftermath of the COVID Vaccine

Kizzmekia S. Corbett-Helaire, PhD, is Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. Dr. Corbett-Helaire’s laboratory studies host immune responses to coronaviruses and other emerging and re-emerging viruses to propel novel vaccine and antibody therapy development. Prior to Harvard, she was a research fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center.

A leading COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273, was co-designed by Dr. Corbett’s NIH team from viral sequence and rapidly deployed for Phase 1 clinical trial, which unprecedently began only 66 days from viral sequence release. Alongside mRNA-1273, Dr. Corbett-Helaire boasts a patent portfolio which also includes universal vaccines and novel therapeutic antibodies. In all, she has over 15 years of experience studying various viruses, garnering several prestigious awards and recognitions, such as the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding.