At NYU Langone’s Vaccine Center, founded in 2018, our goal is to address current and emerging vaccine challenges.

Vaccines were designated by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1999 as the leading public health achievement of the 20th century. Due in part to vaccines, during the 20th century life expectancy at birth among U.S. residents increased by 62 percent, from 47 years in 1900 to 77 years in 2000.

As great as the impact of vaccines has been to date, there remain many challenges and needs in the 21st century.

The aspiration of the Vaccine Center is to be an international center of excellence in basic, translational, and clinical research. The interventions we study include vaccines, antimicrobials and treatments, diagnostics, biomarkers, biologics, and prevention behavior. Our work targets not only infectious diseases but also newer vaccine targets like cancer, autoimmunity, and chronic diseases. Our investigators work in three major research arenas: preclinical, clinical, and public policy, which includes ethics, behavior, and vaccine hesitancy.

The mission of the Vaccine Center is to serve, teach, discover, and lead to achieve our vision: improve the health of our patients and communities, locally and globally, through vaccine research.

In closing, it is important to acknowledge that the work of the Vaccine Center is of the highest importance to humankind and is one component of preparedness for emerging infections. Infectious disease threats to human health abound and will continue to emerge and re-emerge. Our goal is to protect and restore human health against microbial threats through clinical research and to establish preparedness so we can quickly respond.

It is my privilege to lead and direct this noble undertaking.