Science
Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire: Designer of the Moderna mRNA vaccine concept
Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire led the NIH team that designed the concept for Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Kizzmekia S. Corbett-Helaire is an American viral immunologist whose research helped design the concept for Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Education and early research
Corbett-Helaire earned her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology. She worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Vaccine Research Center, studying coronaviruses and other emerging viruses.
mRNA vaccine design
She led the team that designed the spike-protein concept used in Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine. The work built on years of coronavirus research and helped enable one of the fastest vaccine developments in history.
Current work
She is now an assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she continues research on coronaviruses, antibody responses and vaccine design.
Recognition
Corbett-Helaire has been recognized for her role in the COVID-19 vaccine effort and continues to advocate for science communication and diversity in biomedical research.
