Written by Eva Urbina

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is leading the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) search for a COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Corbett earned her PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2014. Currently, she is a viral immunologist and research fellow in the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Recently, Dr. Corbett has participated in several interviews where she has shared some insights regarding her experiences as a woman of color in STEM and about advancements in her COVID-19 vaccine research.

On May 11, 2020, Dr. Corbett participated in a webinar titled: An Interview with Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett: STEM Excellence at the Forefront of Combatting COVID-19, as part of the Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM. In this discourse, she shared details about her journey to becoming a research fellow at NIH, touched on some of the challenges that she has faced as a woman of color in STEM, and offered advice to students in STEM. To read more about Dr. Corbett’s dialogue, see the following articles:

• Emerging Researchers Program Unites Underrepresented Students with STEM Leaders
  

• COVID-19 vaccine researcher Kizzmekia Corbett tells STEM students to stay focused, seek mentors, let their work address the haters 

On May 21, 2020, Dr. Corbett appeared on NIH’s Speaking of Science podcast. There she shared details about her search for a COVID-19 vaccine, including how her previous research and collaborations contributed to creating a vaccine for clinical trials in “record time”. The podcast and transcript are available at the following link:

• Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett — The Novel Coronavirus Vaccine