Nita K. Patel (born 1965) is an Indian-American vaccinologist who leads vaccine development at Novavax. She oversaw the development of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.
Nita Patel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 (age 58–59) |
| Alma mater | Johns Hopkins University Sardar Patel University |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Novavax AstraZeneca |
Early life and education
editPatel was born in Sojitra, a farming village in Gujarat. When she was four years old her father contracted tuberculosis, and came close to death.[1] This experience motivated Patel to become a physician and attempt to find a cure for tuberculosis.[2] She went on to earn a master's degree in microbiology at Sardar Patel University and a master's degree in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University.
Research and career
editAfter graduating from Johns Hopkins, Patel moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland where she worked for MedImmune, a company that looked to create vaccinations for tuberculosis, respiratory syncytial virus and Lyme disease.[2] She was the sixteenth member of the MedImmune team.[3] Later the company eventually acquired by AstraZeneca.[3]
In 2015, Patel left AstraZeneca to join Novavax, a biotechnology start-up in Maryland. Her research considers antibody discovery and vaccine development.[4] She oversaw the development of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, and led an all-woman team.[4][5][6][7] After Patel received the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in February 2020, she designed and characterized over twenty variants of the protein.[3] This involved identifying the locations where antibodies bind to the protein, and developing tests to check whether the spike is consistent between manufacturing plant.[3] The vaccines developed by Patel and Novavax make use of recombinant DNA.[8] In an interview with Science Magazine, Patel said that she had worked eighteen hour days to develop the vaccine, but didn't get tired.[9] They were awarded a $1.6 billion contract to run clinical trials.[10] In 2021, the vaccine was shown to be 89% effective in large trials in the United Kingdom.[11][12]
Selected publications
edit- Cheryl Keech; Gary Albert; Iksung Cho; et al. (2 September 2020). "Phase 1-2 Trial of a SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine". The New England Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1056/NEJMOA2026920. ISSN 0028-4793. PMID 32877576. Wikidata Q98902656.
- Bryce D Smith; Rebecca L Morgan; Geoff A Beckett; et al. (1 August 2012). "Recommendations for the identification of chronic hepatitis C virus infection among persons born during 1945-1965". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Recommendations and Reports. 61 (RR-4): 1–32. ISSN 1057-5987. PMID 22895429. Wikidata Q34294185.
- William F Dall'Acqua; Robert M Woods; E. Sally Ward; et al. (1 November 2002). "Increasing the affinity of a human IgG1 for the neonatal Fc receptor: biological consequences". Journal of Immunology. 169 (9): 5171–5180. doi:10.4049/JIMMUNOL.169.9.5171. ISSN 0022-1767. PMID 12391234. Wikidata Q33184928.
Personal life
editPatel is married to an American biochemist.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b "Nita Patel is leading the vaccine team of Novavax in US..." www.asian-voice.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ a b "Meet Nita Patel, An American-Indian Scientist Who is Breaking Ground in Vaccinology - SheThePeople TV". Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ a b c d Wadman, Meredith (2020-11-06). "'Nothing is impossible,' says lab ace Nita Patel". Science. 370 (6517): 652. Bibcode:2020Sci...370..652W. doi:10.1126/science.370.6517.652. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 33154121.
- ^ a b O'Donnell, Norah (April 1, 2021). "Meet the women at forefront of COVID-19 vaccine development". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ "View: Why are all the prominent Covid vaccines developed by women?". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Tu, Jessie (2020-03-10). "Meet some of the women trying to beat the spread of coronavirus". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ "Women and the Vaccine". Millennial Matriarchs. 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Bhattacharya, Shriya. "Meet Dr. Nita Patel and her All-Female Team Developing the COVID-19 Vaccine". Brown Girl Magazine. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ Cantwell, Meagan (2020-11-17). "This scientist buoys a small firm's quest to make a top-notch COVID-19 vaccine". Science | AAAS. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ "Novavax $1.6B vaccine contract: Is this the start of something big?". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ "Covid-19: Novavax vaccine shows 89% efficacy in UK trials". BBC News. 2021-01-29. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
- ^ "Novavax vaccine 96% effective against original coronavirus, 86% vs British variant in UK trial". CNBC. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2021-04-06.