Kizzmekia Corbett, Hillsborough native and one of the lead scientists behind the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, has announced she’ll be assuming the role of assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

With the goal of assisting the development of novel and possibly universal vaccines, Corbett will head the new Coronaviruses & Other Relevant Emerging Infectious Diseases Lab and study the interactivity between hosts’ immune systems and viruses that cause respiratory disease. She’ll also hold an appointment at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute as the Shtuzer Assistant Professor.

Corbett was raised in Hillsborough, graduated from Orange High School, and earned her doctorate at UNC’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology in 2014. Corbett has since then worked as a research fellow in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’  Vaccine Research Center, where she eventually came to help lead the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Following the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the vaccine, Corbett received national recognition for her work and had days in her honor proclaimed in Hillsborough, Carrboro, and Orange County. Corbett has also been praised by NIAID director Anthony Fauci, president of the National Medical Association Oliver Brooks, President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In January of this year, Corbett revealed she was being approached by UNC to join the university’s faculty. And while she’ll be taking her services to Harvard come June 14, Corbett is still joining Fauci to deliver UNC’s Spring Commencement address during each of the three smaller graduation ceremonies being held between May 14 and 16.

More information about Harvard’s decision to enlist Corbett can be found in the university’s press release.

Featured image via Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
WHO Downgrades COVID Pandemic, Says It’s No Longer Emergency
Written by MARIA CHENG and JAMEY KEATEN The World Health Organization said Friday that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies worldwide and killed at least 7 million people worldwide. WHO first declared COVID-19 to be an emergency more […]
Orange County Ends COVID-19 Testing Services After Nearly 3 Years
After nearly three years of offering PCR tests for COVID-19, the Orange County Health Department has officially halted its testing services.
China’s Xi Faces Threat From Public Anger Over ‘Zero Covid’
Written by DAKE KANG Barely a month after granting himself new powers as China’s potential leader for life, Xi Jinping is facing a wave of public anger of the kind not seen for decades, sparked by his “zero COVID” strategy that will soon enter its fourth year. Demonstrators poured into the streets over the weekend […]
Afraid of Needles? China Rolling Out Oral COVID-19 Vaccine
Written by KEN MORITSUGU The Chinese city of Shanghai started administering an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday in what appears to be a world first. The vaccine, a mist that is sucked in through the mouth, is being offered for free as a booster dose for previously vaccinated people, according to an announcement on an […]
Moderna Sues Pfizer Over Patents Behind COVID-19 Vaccine
Written by TOM MURPHY COVID-19 vaccine maker Moderna is suing Pfizer and the German drugmaker BioNTech, accusing its main competitors of copying Moderna’s technology in order to make their own vaccine. Moderna said Friday that Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine Comirnaty infringes on patents Moderna filed several years ago protecting the technology behind its preventive shot, […]
Chansky's Notebook: To Vax Or Not
Can athletes go unvaccinated and still be team players? This question has raged since COVID hit this country and eventually everyone had the choice to be vaccinated or not. For individuals, it is their absolute right to choose, although some organizations require it for them to keep working. The various professional players associations seem to […]
Orange County: Abortion Rights, COVID Vaccines and July 4th Safety
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Renée Price speaks with 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, June 29. She shares her reaction to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and perspective on the right to abortions being turned over to state governments. Plus, Price shares details on the county's COVID-19 vaccine rollout for infants and some key advice before the long weekend!
Shots for Tots: NC Begins COVID-19 Vaccines for Young Children
The Centers for Disease Control recently approved both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for children as young as six months. Locally, Orange County vaccines for the young age group are available starting Monday and by appointment only at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill.
Pfizer COVID-19 Shot Appears Effective For Kids Under 5
Written by MATTHEW PERRONE and MIKE STOBBE Federal health officials said Sunday that kid-sized doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines appear to be safe and effective for kids under 5, a key step toward a long-awaited decision to begin vaccinating the youngest American children. The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of the Pfizer shot ahead […]
Moderna Seeks FDA Authorization for 4th Dose of COVID Shot
Written by ZEKE MILLER Drugmaker Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to authorize a fourth shot of its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for all adults. The request is broader than rival pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s request earlier this week for the regulator to approve a booster shot for all seniors. In […]
›