March 16th, 2021

Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett, a viral immunologist at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), is one of the leading scientists who in early 2020 helped develop an mRNA-based vaccine for COVID-19.

Born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, she was the first member of her family to attend four-year college, landing a full scholarship to study biology and sociology at University of Maryland Baltimore County. She was especially drawn to the topic of health disparities — knowledge that would eventually drive her to study the most effective public-health measure known: vaccines.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Corbett started working on a vaccine to protect people from coronavirus disease. Developed in collaboration with biotech firm Moderna, the vaccine is now being distributed across the United States and abroad.

In her free time, she speaks to church congregations and other community groups to explain how the vaccines work and why they are safe. Corbett is one of many Black scientists and doctors who are doing this type of outreach to make scientific knowledge accessible in public forums and to temper vaccine hesitancy by talking about COVID-19 science in communities of color.

The Franklin Institute announced on March 11, 2021 that Corbett, 35, is the winner of a new NextGen award, aimed at recognizing innovation by scientists early in their careers. She will receive the honor in a virtual ceremony April 29, with an introduction by her boss, NIH infectious-disease chief Anthony S. Fauci.