Page 4 - CEEM Shopping Mag April 2020

A Face of Hope - Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett

By M. Bernard Edmonds, I

In a time when there is distress, despair and uncertainty, we are eager for any glimmer of Hope.
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett has certainly caught the ears and eyes of people throughout the World
who are waiting with bated breath for someone to nd a cure for this horrible virus. Dr. Corbett
is the Leading the rst Coronavirus vaccine trial at the Center for Disease Control. She has also
worked with the team of Researchers at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, (NIH).

Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett obtained her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) in 2014. Through her dissertation research, “Dissecting Human
Antibody Responses to Dengue Virus Infection”. Dr. Corbett has achieved a travel Fellowship to
complete part of her dissertation project in Sri Lanka. Dr. Corbett was inducted into UNC’s
Frank Porter Graham Honor Society and she has won several awards, including a Doctoral Merit Award.

Dr. Corbett has been working tirelessly to develop this Life Saving vaccine. It will be the rst of it’s kind
in the world toward a possible vaccine for a novel pathogen. Her goal is to have a vaccine available this
Fall 2020 for the Emergency use for Health Care workers and people who are in constant contact with
those who are infected and at risk of being exposed over and over. There is a target goal to have
the vaccine available for the general population by Spring of 2021 and she feels that they are on
track for these goals, if all the phase of the clinical trials are successful.

It has been a pleasure to follow Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett, communicate with her organization and be
granted the rights to cover Dr. Corbett in our magazine. I am not only honored by her achievements
and brilliance in making progress in developing a vaccine that could potentially “Save The World”
from this silent killer that has claimed so many lives. But, I am also proud that Dr. Corbett looks like
our demographic of CEEM Membership. Dr. Corbett loves Jesus and is committed to bringing STEM
awareness to youth in the under served communities through mentorship and volunteering. She has
even shared her passion for Rap Music.

I believe that I can speak for the entire CEEM Membership and the Board of Champions, that we are
praying for Dr. Corbett’s continued health, strength, leadership and God Speed in the development
of a vaccine against Coronavirus. We as a collective are Resilient, Inventors, Creators and Leaders.

Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett de nitely brings us Hope for surviving this Worldwide Health Crisis.

Source material video courtesy of : O ce of Communications and Government Relations National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
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