Barney S. Graham
Rapid COVID-19 Vaccine Development and the Future of Pandemic Preparedness
Barney S. Graham is an immunologist, virologist, and clinical trials physician with an extensive background in basic and translational research applied to vaccine development. He obtained an undergraduate degree from Rice University, a medical degree from the University of Kansas, and residency, ID fellowship, and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University where he was an R01-funded investigator before joining the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) Vaccine Research Center at NIH as a founding member in 2000. He retired as Deputy Director of the VRC in 2021 and is now an independent consultant and Senior Advisor for Global Health Equity at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
He is an elected member of ASCI, AAP, and the National Academy of Sciences. He is a recipient of the Robert M. Chanock Award for lifetime contributions to RSV research, the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Award for contributions to vaccinology, the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, and the National Academy of Sciences John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science. He was named one of the world’s 100 most influential individuals and one of the Heroes of the Year in 2021 by Time magazine and recognized as the Federal Employee of the Year by the Partnership for Public Service.
He is an author of more than 500 scientific publications and a thought leader on emerging viral diseases and pandemic preparedness. He is best known for his research on RSV pathogenesis, structure-based vaccine design, and application of mRNA delivery technology. He was involved in the advanced evaluation of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for HIV, Ebola, and Chikungunya, and developed novel vaccines for RSV, influenza, Zika, paramyxoviruses, and coronaviruses including the first COVID-19 vaccine and monoclonal antibody to enter clinical testing and that subsequently achieved Emergency Use Authorization and licensure.