Meeting great challenges together | MIT Technology Review

About the speakers

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, Senior Scientist, COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Development; Assistant Professor, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

Dr Kizzmekia Corbett was the coronavirus team scientist at the US National Institutes of Health’s Center for Vaccine Research, where she studied coronavirus biology and vaccine development. These 6 years of research have led to the groundbreaking discovery that a stabilized version of a spike protein, which is found on the surface of all coronaviruses, would be a key target for vaccines, treatments and diagnostics. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her colleagues played central roles in the development of the mRNA vaccine Moderna and the therapeutic monoclonal antibody Eli Lilly, both of which were the first to enter clinical trials. in the world. As a result, his work is having a substantial impact on ending the worst respiratory disease pandemic in over 100 years. Dr. Corbett is now an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, as well as an assistant Shutzer professor at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study and an associate member of the Phillip T. and Susan M Institute. Ragoon. His work now extends beyond the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines to address the prospects of this and future viral pandemics.

Perhaps just as significant as her scientific achievements, Dr. Corbett has burst onto the public scene as the face of a diverse and rising generation of talented scientists who will transform the world. She is an excellent science communicator, explaining the vaccine and the virus in a very accessible way to the media, two US presidents and the public around the world.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, graduate in medicine; Super Bowl Champion

Called “the most interesting man in the NFL,” Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is an eight-year NFL veteran, Super Bowl champion and the only active NFL player with a medical degree. Just months after winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs — and amid the COVID-19 pandemic — Duvernay-Tardif stepped away from football to join the medical front lines. From the incredible heights of winning the SuperBowl to the burnout of nursing work, Duvernay-Tardif shares her remarkable personal story, talking about resilience, leadership and more.

As plans for the 2020 NFL season intensified, Duvernay-Tardif walked away from the game he loved, becoming the first player of the 2020 NFL season to publicly step down. For the first time in his remarkable career, Duvernay-Tardif couldn’t balance his dual passions of football and medicine, and with his team’s Super Bowl victory just months behind him, he found himself in front line of the pandemic, working in a long-term care facility in Quebec. While working on the front lines, Duvernay-Tardif enrolled in Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.

Juergen Eckhardt, SVP and Director, Leaps by Bayer

Juergen Eckhardt is SVP and Head of Leaps by Bayer, Bayer’s impact investing unit. Leaps’ mission is to invest in cutting-edge technologies and disruptive business models in healthcare and agriculture. Juergen has been a venture capitalist since 2002 and currently sits on the board of Joyn Bio, Dewpoint, Century, Khloris, Oerth Bio, Immunitas, eGenesis and others. Previously, Juergen was a management consultant and associate partner at McKinsey & Co. and a member of McKinsey’s healthcare leadership team. He started his career as a radiologist at the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland. Juergen received his MD from the University of Basel and his MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, CEO and Editor, MIT Technology Review

Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau is CEO and publisher of MIT Technology Review, the independent media company of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Since Elizabeth took over as helm of MIT Technology Review in mid-2017, the company has undergone a massive transformation from its previous position as a respected but niche print magazine to a widely read, cross-platform media brand with a global audience. and a sustainable business. . Under his leadership, MIT Technology Review has been hailed for its editorial authority, top-notch events, and innovative use of independent, original research to support both advertisers and readers.

Elizabeth has 20 years of experience building and managing teams at world-renowned media companies. She focuses on new ways to market media content to appeal to discerning and discerning consumers as well as B2B audiences.

Prior to joining MIT Technology Review, Elizabeth held a senior executive position at The Economist Group, where her leadership spanned all industries and included mergers and acquisitions; editorial and product creation and modernization; Sales; marketing; and events. Earlier in her career, she worked as a consultant advising technology companies on market entry and international expansion.

Elizabeth holds an Executive MBA from London Business School, an MSc from the London School of Economics and a BA from Swarthmore College.