February 18, 2022
In honor of Black History Month, Kobre & Kim is reflecting on the unique contributions made by Black Americans both inside and outside the legal industry. Today, we celebrate Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, a viral immunologist and lead researcher for the COVID-19 vaccine. In support of the 2022 Black History Month theme of Black Health and Wellness, we are honored to recognize the efforts of Dr. Corbett as an essential leader in the fight against COVID-19 and champion of health and wellness in minority communities.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Vaccine Research Center, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Corbett has over 15 years of experience studying dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus and coronaviruses, which she has used to advance vaccine development for pandemic preparedness. Dr. Corbett was a leader of the immunopathogenesis team at the National Institutes of Health whose research on messenger RNA (mRNA) led to the development of the Moderna vaccine.
As an immunologist and a Black woman, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett has worked to ease tensions and build trust with vaccine-hesitant populations, particularly the Black community. In February 2021, Dr. Corbett was highlighted as an innovator in Time’s “100 Next” list, with a profile written by Dr. Anthony Fauci calling her a “rising star” of the immunology community.