Kizzmekia Corbett

Kizzmekia Corbett was born in 1986 in North Carolina, where her curiosity about science was encouraged from an early age. She earned a degree in biological sciences from the University of Maryland before completing a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina. As a researcher at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, she specialized in studying coronaviruses years before the COVID-19 pandemic began. When the virus spread across the world in 2020, Kizzmekia played a leading role in designing the Moderna mRNA vaccine, helping scientists develop one of the first effective vaccines in record time. Her research has saved millions of lives and demonstrated the importance of preparing for future disease outbreaks. Today, she is also a passionate advocate for diversity in science, encouraging girls and young people from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in STEM.