Kizzmekia Corbett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kizzmekia Corbett
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| Born |
Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett
January 26, 1986 |
| Alma mater | University of Maryland, Baltimore County (BS) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (MS, PhD) |
| Known for | COVID-19 vaccine |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Immunology Microbiology |
| Institutions | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Harvard Radcliffe Institute National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases |
| Thesis | "Characterization of Human Antibody Responses to Dengue Virus Infections in a Sri Lankan Pediatric Cohort" (2014) |
Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett (born January 26, 1986) is an American scientist who studies how our bodies fight off viruses. This field is called immunology. She is currently a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
Before joining Harvard in June 2021, she worked for six years at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC). This center is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Corbett earned her PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014.
In 2014, she joined the VRC and became a key scientist on the COVID-19 team. Her work focused on creating COVID-19 vaccines. In February 2021, Time magazine featured Dr. Corbett on its "Time100 Next" list. She was recognized as an "Innovator," and her profile was written by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
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Early Life and Education
Kizzmekia Corbett was born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, on January 26, 1986. She grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina, in a large family.
She attended Oak Lane Elementary School in Roxboro and A.L. Stanback Middle School in Hillsborough. Her fourth-grade teacher, Myrtis Bradsher, noticed Kizzy's talent early on. She encouraged Kizzy's mother to enroll her in advanced classes. Bradsher described Kizzy as one of the best students in her 30 years of teaching.
In 2004, Dr. Corbett graduated from Orange High School. She then attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). In 2008, she earned two bachelor's degrees: one in biological sciences and another in sociology. She was part of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program, which supports students interested in science and engineering.
In 2014, Dr. Corbett completed her PhD in microbiology and immunology. She received this degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For her PhD research, she traveled to Sri Lanka. There, she studied how human bodies create antibodies to fight the dengue virus. She also looked at how the virus causes sickness.
Career in Science
While in high school, Dr. Corbett knew she wanted to be a scientist. She spent her summer breaks working in research labs. One summer, she worked at UNC's Kenan Labs with chemist James Morkin. In 2005, she interned at Stony Brook University. She studied how certain bacteria cause disease.
From 2006 to 2007, she worked as a lab technician at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. After getting her bachelor's degree, she became a biological sciences trainer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She worked with Dr. Barney S. Graham from 2006 to 2009. At the NIH, she researched viruses like respiratory syncytial virus. She also worked on new ways to create vaccines.
From 2009 to 2014, Dr. Corbett studied how people in Sri Lanka reacted to the dengue virus. She learned how their bodies made antibodies to fight the virus. She also explored how the virus's genetics affected how severe the illness became.
In October 2014, Dr. Corbett became a research fellow at the NIH. She focused on understanding how viruses cause disease and how our bodies fight them. She worked on developing new vaccines for coronaviridae, a family of viruses. Her early work helped create vaccines for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). She found a simple way to make coronavirus spike proteins. These proteins are important for vaccines because they help the body recognize the virus.
In December 2021, the mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, asked Dr. Corbett to join the city's COVID-19 advisory committee.
Developing the COVID-19 Vaccine
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dr. Corbett quickly started working on a vaccine. She knew that the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, was similar to the SARS virus. Her team used what they already knew about coronavirus proteins to fight COVID-19.
Viruses like coronaviruses have "spike" proteins on their surface. These proteins look like a crown. They help the virus attach to our cells and cause infection. This makes them a good target for vaccines. Dr. Corbett's team, working with scientists at The University of Texas at Austin, used their past research. They made changes to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to make it more stable. This helped the body create a stronger immune response.
Her team also helped figure out the detailed structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This was done using a special microscope technique called cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM). Her earlier research suggested that using messenger RNA (mRNA) could teach the body to make protective antibodies against the virus.
To make and test the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Corbett's team partnered with Moderna, a biotechnology company. This allowed them to quickly test the vaccine in animals. Soon after, the vaccine entered Phase 1 clinical trials in humans. This happened just 66 days after scientists first identified the virus's genetic code. The trial involved giving two injections, 28 days apart, to at least 45 people.
In December 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the Institute, praised Dr. Corbett. He said she was an African American scientist at the forefront of vaccine development. He wrote in Time magazine that her work was key to the Moderna mRNA vaccine. He also said her work would greatly help end the pandemic. Dr. Corbett was part of the NIH team that met with Donald Trump in March 2020.
When asked about her role, Dr. Corbett said it felt "surreal" to work on something so important for the world. She shared that she cried when the Moderna vaccine's results showed it worked well.
Public Statements on COVID-19
Dr. Corbett encouraged everyone to be careful and respectful during the pandemic. She explained that simple actions like washing hands and sneezing into your elbow help stop the virus from spreading. She also stressed that people should not be blamed if they came from areas where the virus started.
Dr. Corbett worked to build trust with groups who were unsure about vaccines, especially the Black community. For example, in October 2020, she gave a presentation about vaccine development to Black Health Matters. Dr. Fauci highlighted her race in outreach efforts. He noted that a study showed many Black Americans were unsure about vaccine safety. He said that people should know the vaccine was developed by an African American woman.
Academic Service
Dr. Corbett often shares information on social media. She also takes part in programs to inspire young people in communities that may not have many opportunities.
Honors and Awards
- UNC Frank Porter Graham Honor Society
- 2002–2004: American Chemical Society, Project SEED at UNC‐Chapel Hill
- 2006: National Institute of Health, NIH Undergraduate Scholarship
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Meyerhoff Scholar
- 2013: Third Pan American Dengue Research Network Meeting Travel Award
- 2020: Co-recipient of the Golden Goose Award with Barney Graham, Emmie de Wit and Vincent Munster for excellent federally funded research
- 2021: Highlighted by Time magazine in the "Time100 Next" list, as an Innovator
- In recognition of her vaccine work, Orange County, North Carolina named January 12, 2021, "Dr. Kizzy Corbett Day."
- 2022: National Honoree, USA TODAY's Women of the Year
Images for kids
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Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett
See also
In Spanish: Kizzmekia Corbett para niños
