Dr Nita Patel is an Indian-American physician and vaccinologist renowned for her leadership in vaccine development at Novavax, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more about Dr Nita and how she worked to fight against COVID-19 below!
Early Life and Education
Nita was born in 1965 in the village of Sojitra in India. She was inspired to pursue medicine from an early age when she saw her father’s battle with tuberculosis when she was just four years old. Seeing this, Dr Patel was inspired to find the cures for infectious diseases. She studied hard and went on to earn a master’s degree in microbiology from Sardar Patel University in India as well as a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
Career
Dr Patel began her career at MedImmune in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she worked on developing vaccines for diseases such as tuberculosis, respiratory syncytial virus, and Lyme disease. Her work here would be the beginning of an amazing career in vaccinology. In 2015, she joined Novavax, a biotechnology company based in Maryland, where she currently leads antibody discovery and vaccine development efforts.
At Novavax, Dr Patel was central to overseeing the development of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine. Leading an all-female team, she worked tirelessly to design and characterise over twenty variants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, identifying critical antibody binding sites and ensuring consistency in vaccine production. Her relentless dedication contributed to the vaccine’s demonstrated 89% efficacy in large-scale trials in the UK.
Dr Nita: Inspiration
Dr Nita Patel’s journey from a small village in India to the forefront of global vaccine development shows us everything we need to know about resilience, determination, and excellence. Her STEAM story shows the impact that passion and hard work can have on global health. Are you committed to making a difference in the world? Did Dr Nita’s story inspire you?
