Hillsborough Native Honored By TIME For Work On COVID-19 Vaccine

Hillsborough native and UNC Chapel Hill alum Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett has been named to TIME Magazine's 100 Next List for her work in developing a vaccine to combat the coronavirus. Dr. Corbett is the scientific lead of the Vaccine Research Center's coronavirus team the the U.S. National Institutes of Health and helped develop the widely-used Moderna vaccine.

In an article for the magazine, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading expert on infectious diseases and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH, called Dr. Corbett a "rising star" in the immunology community. He said Corbett's work with coronaviruses over the last six years culminated in her work during the pandemic to help develop an effective vaccine against COVID-19.

"She and her colleagues have been central to the development of the Moderna mRNA vaccine and the Eli Lilly therapeutic monoclonal antibody that were first the enter clinical trials in the U.S. and now have authorization for emergency use," Dr. Fauci wrote. "As a result, her work will have a substantial impact on ending the worst respiratory-disease pandemic in more than 100 years."

According to ABC 11, Corbett grew up in Hillsborough, graduating from Orange High School before earning degrees from the University of Maryland. In 2014, she earned her doctorate in microbiology and immunology from UNC Chapel Hill. Earlier this year, she was honored by Hillsborough city leaders when they proclaimed January 12 as Dr. Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Corbett Day.

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