Kizzmekia Corbett

Dr. Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett (born January 26, 1986)[1] is an American viral immunologist at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIAID NIH) based in Bethesda, Maryland.[2][3] Appointed to the VRC in 2014, she is currently the scientific lead of the VRC's Coronavirus Team, with research efforts aimed at propelling novel coronavirus vaccines, including a COVID-19 vaccine.[4][5]

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett
Born
Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett

(1986-01-26) January 26, 1986
Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OccupationImmunologist
Years active2014-present
EmployerNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Early life and education

Corbett was born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina to Rhonda Brooks.[3] She grew up in Hillsborough, a rural town in North Carolina,[6] where she had a large family of step-siblings and foster siblings.[2]

Corbett went to Oak Lane Elementary School[7] and A.L. Stanback Middle School.[6][8] Her fourth grade teacher, Myrtis Bradsher, recalls recognizing Corbett's talent at an early age and encouraging Kizzy's mother to place her in advanced classes. "I always thought she is going to do something one day. She dotted i’s and crossed t’s. The best in my 30 years of teaching," Bradsher said in a 2020 interview with The Washington Post.[7]

In 2004, Corbett graduated from Orange High School in Hillsborough, North Carolina.[6] In 2008, Corbett received a B.S. in biological sciences and sociology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), as a student in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program.[2] In 2014, Corbett received a PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[9]

Career

While in high school, Corbett realized that she wanted to pursue a scientific career, and as part of a program called ProjectSEED, spent her summer holiday working in research laboratories, one of which was at UNC's Kenan Labs with organic chemist James Morkin.[1][2][6] In 2005, she was a summer intern at SUNY StonyBrook in Gloria Viboud's lab where she studied Yersinia pseudotuberculosis pathogenesis. From 2006 to 2007, she worked as a lab tech in Susan Dorsey's lab at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

After earning her bachelor's degree, from 2006 to 2009, Corbett was a biological sciences trainer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she worked alongside Dr. Barney Graham. At the NIH, Corbett worked on the pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus pathogenesis as well as on a project focused on innovative vaccine platform advancement.[1]

From 2009 to 2014, Corbett studied human antibody responses to dengue virus in Sri Lankan children under the supervision of Aravinda de Silva at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[9] She studied how people produce antibodies in response to dengue fever, and how the genetics of dengue fever impact the severity of a disease. From April to May 2014, as part of her research for her dissertation, Corbett worked as a visiting scholar at Genetech Research Institute in Colombo, Sri Lanka.[1]

In October 2014, Corbett became a research fellow, working as a viral immunologist, at the NIH. Her research aims to uncover mechanisms of viral pathogenesis and host immunity.[8] She specifically focuses on development of novel vaccines for coronaviridae.[8] Her early research considered the development of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) vaccine antigens.[10][11] During this time, she identified a simple way to make spike proteins that are stabilized in a conformation that renders them more immunogenic and manufacturable, in collaboration with researchers at Scripps Research Institute and Dartmouth College.[12]

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Corbett started working on a vaccine to protect people from coronavirus disease.[2] Recognizing that the virus was similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Corbett's team utilized previous knowledge of optimal coronavirus S proteins to tackle the novel coronavirus.[13][14] S proteins form a “crown” on the surface of coronaviruses and are crucial for engagement of host cell receptors and the initiation of membrane fusion in coronavirus disease. This makes them a particularly vulnerable target for coronavirus prophylactics and therapeutics. Based on her previous research, Corbett's team, in collaboration with investigators at UT Austin, transplanted stabilizing mutations from SARS-CoV S protein into SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.[12] She was part of the NIH team who helped solve the cryogenic electron microscopy (CryoEM) structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.[15] Her prior research suggested that messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding S protein could be used to excite the immune response to produce protective antibodies against coronavirus disease 2019.[12]

To manufacture and test the COVID-19 vaccine Corbett's team partnered with Moderna, a biotechnology company, to rapidly enter animal studies. Subsequently, the vaccine entered Phase 1 clinical trial only 66 days after the virus sequence was released. The trial, to be completed in at least 45 people, is a dose escalation study in the form of two injections separated by 28 days.[16] Corbett's work afforded her the opportunity to be a part of the National Institutes of Health team that welcomed Donald Trump to the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center in March 2020.[3][17]

Corbett has called for the public to be cautious and respectful of one another during the coronavirus pandemic, explaining that regular hand washing and sneezing into one's elbow can help to minimize the spread of the virus. She has also emphasized that we should not stigmatize people who may be from areas where the virus started.[6] When asked about her involvement with the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, Corbett said, "To be living in this moment where I have the opportunity to work on something that has imminent global importance…it’s just a surreal moment for me".[18]

Alongside her scientific research, Corbett is involved with science communication and public engagement. She regularly shares information on Twitter and takes part in programs to inspire youth in underserved communities.[8]

Honors

Selected works and publications
  • Corbett, Kizzmekia Shanta (August 2014). Characterization of Human Antibody Responses to Dengue Virus Infections in a Sri Lankan Pediatric Cohort. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School. doi:10.17615/ajjc-6r57. Wikidata ()
  • Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Katzelnick, Leah; Tissera, Hasitha; Amerasinghe, Ananda; de Silva, Aruna Dharshan; de Silva, Aravinda M. (15 February 2015). "Pre-existing Neutralizing Antibody Responses Distinguish Clinically Inapparent and Apparent Dengue Virus Infections in a Sri Lankan Pediatric Cohort". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 211 (4): 590–599. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiu481. PMID 25336728. Wikidata ()
  • Kirchdoerfer, Robert N.; Cottrell, Christopher A.; Wang, Nianshuang; Pallesen, Jesper; Yassine, Hadi M.; Turner, Hannah L.; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Graham, Barney S.; McLellan, Jason S.; Ward, Andrew B. (2 March 2016). "Pre-fusion structure of a human coronavirus spike protein". Nature. 531 (7592): 118–121. doi:10.1038/nature17200. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 26935699. Wikidata ()
  • Raut, Rajendra; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Tennekoon, Rashika N.; Premawansa, Sunil; Wijewickrama, Ananda; Premawansa, Gayani; Mieczkowski, Piotr; Rückert, Claudia; Ebel, Gregory D.; De Silva, Aruna D.; de Silva, Aravinda M. (2 January 2019). "Dengue type 1 viruses circulating in humans are highly infectious and poorly neutralized by human antibodies" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (1): 227–232. doi:10.1073/pnas.1812055115. PMID 30518559. Wikidata ()
  • Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Moin, Syed M.; Yassine, Hadi M.; Cagigi, Alberto; Kanekiyo, Masaru; Boyoglu-Barnum, Seyhan; Myers, Sky I.; Tsybovsky, Yaroslav; Wheatley, Adam K.; Schramm, Chaim A.; Gillespie, Rebecca A.; Shi, Wei; Wang, Lingshu; Zhang, Yi; Andrews, Sarah F.; Joyce, M. Gordon; Crank, Michelle C.; Douek, Daniel C.; McDermott, Adrian B.; Mascola, John R.; Graham, Barney S.; Boyington, Jeffrey C.; Subbarao, Kanta (26 February 2019). "Design of Nanoparticulate Group 2 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Stem Antigens That Activate Unmutated Ancestor B Cell Receptors of Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Lineages". mBio. 10 (1). doi:10.1128/mBio.02810-18. PMID 30808695. Wikidata ()
  • Rosen, Osnat; Chan, Leo Li-Ying; Abiona, Olubukola M.; Gough, Portia; Wang, Lingshu; Shi, Wei; Zhang, Yi; Wang, Nianshuang; Kong, Wing-Pui; McLellan, Jason S.; Graham, Barney S.; Corbett, Kizzmekia S. (March 2019). "A high-throughput inhibition assay to study MERS-CoV antibody interactions using image cytometry". Journal of Virological Methods. 265: 77–83. doi:10.1016/j.jviromet.2018.11.009.
  • Wang, Nianshuang; Rosen, Osnat; Wang, Lingshu; Turner, Hannah L.; Stevens, Laura J.; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Bowman, Charles A.; Pallesen, Jesper; Shi, Wei; Zhang, Yi; Leung, Kwanyee; Kirchdoerfer, Robert N.; Becker, Michelle M.; Denison, Mark R.; Chappell, James D.; Ward, Andrew B.; Graham, Barney S.; McLellan, Jason S. (24 September 2019). "Structural Definition of a Neutralization-Sensitive Epitope on the MERS-CoV S1-NTD". Cell Reports. 28 (13): 3395–3405.e6. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.052. PMID 31553909. Wikidata ()
  • Wrapp, Daniel; Wang, Nianshuang; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Goldsmith, Jory A.; Hsieh, Ching-Lin; Abiona, Olubukola; Graham, Barney S.; McLellan, Jason S. (13 March 2020). "Cryo-EM Structure of the 2019-nCoV Spike in the Prefusion Conformation". Science. 367 (6483): 1260–1263. doi:10.1126/science.abb2507. PMID 32075877. Wikidata ()
  • Boyoglu-Barnum, Seyhan; Hutchinson, Geoffrey B.; Boyington, Jeffrey C.; Moin, Syed M.; Gillespie, Rebecca A.; Tsybovsky, Yaroslav; Stephens, Tyler; Vaile, John R.; Lederhofer, Julia; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Fisher, Brian E.; Yassine, Hadi M.; Andrews, Sarah F.; Crank, Michelle C.; McDermott, Adrian B.; Mascola, John R.; Graham, Barney S.; Kanekiyo, Masaru (7 February 2020). "Glycan repositioning of influenza hemagglutinin stem facilitates the elicitation of protective cross-group antibody responses". Nature Communications. 11 (1). doi:10.1038/S41467-020-14579-4. PMID 32034141. Wikidata ()
gollark: If I fix the buggy crawl logic, swap out the FTS backend for postgres' one, and change the domain manager UI, it could actually be good.
gollark: https://drewdevault.com/2020/11/17/Better-than-DuckDuckGo.htmlWhat if osmarks.tk search engine but actually vaguely sensible?
gollark: But how will you contact him? Contact is typically done via the internet.
gollark: Manually generate DHCP packets.
gollark: There's an easier solution.

References
  1. "Corbett continues quest for dengue fever vaccine". UNC Health Talk. 14 February 2014.
  2. Givens, Dana; Blanco, Lydia; Corbett, Kizzmekia (26 March 2020). "Meet The Black Woman Taking the Lead to Develop a Vaccine For COVID-19". Black Enterprise.
  3. Ross, Janell (12 April 2020). "Scientist Kizzmekia Corbett leads the way on COVID-19 vaccine trials with dedication and humor". NBC News.
  4. Sheikh, Knvul; Thomas, Katie (28 January 2020). "Researchers Are Racing to Make a Coronavirus Vaccine. Will It Help?". The New York Times.
  5. Stein, Rob; King, Noel; Corbett, Kizzmekia (21 February 2020). "NIH Lab Races To Create Coronavirus Vaccine In Record Time". Morning Edition. NPR.
  6. Edwards, Dale (19 February 2020). "She has our back: Vaccine push has local connection". The News of Orange County.
  7. Fears, Darryl (6 May 2020). "Kizzmekia Corbett spent her life preparing for this moment. Can she create the vaccine to end a pandemic?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  8. "Keystone Symposia: Kizzmekia S. Corbett PhD; NIH, NIAID, Vaccine Research Center". Virtual Keystone Symposia. October 2018.
  9. Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Katzelnick, Leah; Tissera, Hasitha; Amerasinghe, Ananda; de Silva, Aruna Dharshan; de Silva, Aravinda M. (15 February 2015). "Preexisting Neutralizing Antibody Responses Distinguish Clinically Inapparent and Apparent Dengue Virus Infections in a Sri Lankan Pediatric Cohort". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 211 (4): 590–599. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiu481. PMID 25336728. Wikidata ()
  10. Sims, Megan (29 March 2020). "Black woman immunologist leads charge to develop COVID-19 vaccine". TheGrio.
  11. Beaumont, Peter (1 February 2020). "Researchers make strides in race to create coronavirus vaccine". The Guardian.
  12. Neergaard, Lauran (8 March 2020). "Behind the scenes, scientists prep for COVID-19 vaccine test". The Washington Times. Associated Press.
  13. "Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett Leads Effort To Find COVID-19 Cure". NewsOne. 28 March 2020.
  14. Pollak, Suzanne (3 February 2020). "NIH Working to Develop Vaccine for Coronavirus". Montgomery Community Media.
  15. Wrapp, Daniel; Wang, Nianshuang; Corbett, Kizzmekia S.; Goldsmith, Jory A.; Hsieh, Ching-Lin; Abiona, Olubukola; Graham, Barney S.; McLellan, Jason S. (13 March 2020). "Cryo-EM structure of the 2019-nCoV spike in the prefusion conformation". Science. 367 (6483): 1260–1263. doi:10.1126/science.abb2507. PMID 32075877. Wikidata ()
  16. Forster, Victoria (17 March 2020). "First Person Injected With Trial Coronavirus Vaccine In Seattle". Forbes.
  17. "First Campus Visit: Trump Gets Update on Coronavirus Research; Congressional Delegation Gets Coronavirus Update" (PDF). NIH Record. National Institutes of Health. LXXII (6): 1, 6, 7–9. 20 March 2020.
  18. Hansen, Sarah (2 March 2020). "UMBC alumnae racing to develop coronavirus vaccine". UMBC Magazine.
  19. "PROJECT SEED PARTICIPANTS & MENTORS". The TarHelium. The North Carolina Section of the American Chemical Society (NCACS). 33 (1): 4–5. Fall 2002.
  20. Sremaniak, Laura (August 2015). "Where are those SEED Alumni now? Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, SEED Alumna from 2004". The TarHelium. The North Carolina Section of the American Chemical Society (NCACS). 46 (1): 19.
  21. "Meet the Scholars from 2006: Kizzmekia Corbett". Office of Intramural Training & Education at the National Institutes of Health. 2006.
  22. "Graduate School Events: 2013 Graduate Student Recognition Celebration". The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill. 10 April 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.