Kizzmekia Corbett, a prominent American viral immunologist, played a significant role in the creation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. She has dedicated her career to understanding viral pathogenesis and host immunity, with a focus on developing effective vaccines against various infectious diseases.
Formative Years and Scientific Path
Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett was born on January 26, 1986, in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina. Her interest in science emerged during her high school years at Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina. She participated in ProjectSEED, a program that provided her with an early opportunity to study chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill).
This experience helped her secure a scholarship to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences and a secondary major in sociology in 2008. Following her undergraduate studies, Corbett pursued a doctorate at UNC-Chapel Hill, focusing on viral infections. She completed her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology in 2014; her dissertation research explored human antibody responses to dengue virus infections.
Pre-Pandemic Viral Research
Corbett’s expertise in viral immunology was developed through research on various pathogens before the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center (VRC) began in 2014 as a research fellow. She investigated coronaviruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which are related to the virus that causes COVID-19.
Her research involved studying the structure of coronavirus “spike proteins,” which are surface proteins that allow viruses to enter host cells. This foundational work provided insights into how these proteins function and how the immune system responds to them. Beyond coronaviruses, Corbett also conducted research on other viral diseases, including dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza.
Leading the COVID-19 Vaccine Development
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 highlighted Corbett’s pre-pandemic research. Her deep understanding of coronavirus spike proteins positioned her team to respond swiftly to the global health challenge. Her team at the NIH’s Vaccine Research Center focused on designing an antigen based on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. This antigen would then be used to train the body’s immune system to recognize and fight off the actual virus.
A significant aspect of this work involved identifying the precise atomic-level structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and finding ways to stabilize it in its “prefusion” shape, which is the form it takes before infecting cells and is most effective for eliciting an immune response. This structural understanding was important for vaccine design. Her team then partnered with the biotechnology company Moderna to develop the mRNA-1273 vaccine, known as the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The mRNA vaccine technology leverages messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct the body’s cells to produce the viral spike protein. Once the cells create these harmless spike proteins, the immune system recognizes them as foreign and generates antibodies and T-cells to combat them. This process prepares the body to neutralize the actual virus if exposed. The vaccine concept designed by Corbett’s team was rapidly deployed for a Phase 1 clinical trial, which began 66 days after the viral sequence was released.
Continued Impact and Future Contributions
In June 2021, Kizzmekia Corbett transitioned from the National Institutes of Health to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she now serves as an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases. At Harvard, she leads her own laboratory, continuing her research into emerging and re-emerging viruses. Her current work aims to build upon her experience with RSV, dengue, influenza, and coronaviruses to answer fundamental questions about host immune responses.
Her ongoing research focuses on informing vaccine development and therapeutic antibody discovery, with a broader goal of enhancing pandemic preparedness. Beyond her scientific pursuits, Corbett is an active advocate for science, particularly emphasizing STEM education and vaccine awareness within underserved communities. She works to increase trust in scientific research and address health disparities, serving as a role model for aspiring scientists.