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What if the key to stopping a pandemic didn’t require a needle at all? I’m deeply passionate about studying viruses and, specifically, developing intranasal vaccines. We’re at the forefront of a breakthrough for COVID-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and our work could fundamentally change how we fight respiratory illnesses.

Traditional vaccines are injected into the muscle, but we’ve developed an intranasal vaccine that targets the mucosal surfaces of the body—the first line of defense. This could stop infections before they spread. Currently, we’re in Phase 2 clinical trials for our COVID-19 vaccine, with support from the U.S. government for a large-scale human trial. Eventually, we hope to protect billions of people against respiratory illnesses.

My journey into this field wasn’t planned from the start, but it has felt like a natural progression. I’ve always been captivated by viruses. The simplicity of them—take the paramyxovirus, for example, with only seven genes—is incredibly fascinating. Viruses can persist for millions of years, making them one of nature’s most resilient organisms. Their ability to replicate inside a host without the need for independent replication machinery is both intellectually stimulating and scientifically thrilling to study.

In 2009, I wasn’t actively looking to move institutions, but when I visited UGA, I was impressed by the resources and commitment to infectious disease research. I saw the potential to collaborate with like-minded researchers and the heavy investment in state-of-the-art facilities. This made the decision an easy one, and it’s been extraordinarily fulfilling to build my research career at UGA.

The university strongly supports my work, and the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) plays a key role in helping commercialize our discoveries. Thanks to their backing, we’ve launched a startup to bring our vaccine technology to the market. In my eyes, UGA stands out for its commitment to empowering faculty to advance research and tackle pressing global health challenges.