Vaccine Scientists

The Yale School of Public Health has a comprehensive vaccine research and policy portfolio. Faculty conduct vaccine trials, evaluate immune responses to vaccination, gauge vaccine safety, assess the impact of vaccination programs and develop interventions to increase acceptance of vaccines.

Moreover, faculty have been instrumental in developing U.S. and global vaccine policy and have been at the forefront of advocating for global vaccine equity, said vaccinologist Saad Omer, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the Yale Institute for Global Health and Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases.

Examples of infectious diseases covered by YSPH research include COVID-19, influenza, measles, pertussis, typhoid, respiratory syncytial virus and human papillomavirus. The school’s external vaccine research partners include the World Health Organization, Gavi, Facebook, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The vaccine research being led by YSPH is exceptional,” said Melinda Irwin, Ph.D., the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology and associate dean of research. “Spanning from the laboratory to the clinic and the community, our studies are examining biological, behavioral, social and structural factors impacting vaccine efficacy and uptake. Using innovative approaches, our results have and will continue to increase our knowledge as to the impact of vaccines, inform future vaccine research and policy, and ultimately save lives.”