معرفی
Kathryn E. Stephenson, M.D., M.P.H., serves as Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. She directs the Clinical Trials Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Center for Virology and Vaccine Research (CVVR), leading phase 1 clinical trials for HIV and emerging infectious diseases including SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was site Principal Investigator for the first-in-human Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial and Phase 3 efficacy studies of remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies.
Education
- B.A. in Anthropology, Williams College (1996)
- M.P.H., Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (2001), focusing on clinical trial ethics
- M.D., New York University School of Medicine (2005)
- Internal Medicine Residency, Columbia University Medical Center (2005-2008)
- Infectious Diseases Fellowship, Mass General Brigham (2008-2009)
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunology, BIDMC (2009-2011)
Dr. Stephenson's research centers on HIV vaccine development and novel immunologic interventions, with expertise in mosaic Ad26-based HIV vaccines and broadly neutralizing antibodies for prevention/treatment. She pioneered trials of the J&J Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine and currently chairs CoVPN 3006—the largest federal study testing Moderna's vaccine for blocking SARS-CoV-2 transmission. A vocal advocate for research equity, she works to increase Black and Latinx participation in clinical trials and ensure vaccine access for vulnerable communities through community-engaged approaches.
Her 2023-2025 publications reveal dominant trends in HIV monoclonal antibody therapeutics, SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics during Omicron, and vaccine safety mechanisms. Key themes include pharmacokinetics of engineered antibodies, genomic epidemiology of household transmission, and computational modeling of antibody resistance—demonstrating her dual focus on HIV cure research and pandemic response.
Scientific Awards
- Maxwell Finland Award for Research Excellence (2013)
- Center for AIDS Research Scholar Award (2014)
- The Omololu Falobi Award for HIV Prevention Advocacy (2016)
- AIDS Vaccine Conference Scholarships (2011, 2012)
- Multiple early-career honors from Williams College and NYU
As Principal Investigator of the Stephenson Laboratory and CVVR Clinical Trials Unit, she manages multiple NIH-funded studies including the landmark CoVPN 3006 trial. Her team collaborates across the Ragon Institute, Harvard, and the NIH's HIV Vaccine Trials Network, with recent grants supporting research on HIV remission strategies and equitable vaccine deployment. Current projects focus on blocking SARS-CoV-2 transmission and advancing mosaic HIV vaccine candidates through phase 1/2 trials.
Her laboratory at BIDMC integrates virology, immunology, and clinical research through the CVVR infrastructure, with active partnerships in the Ragon Institute's collaborative ecosystem. The Stephenson Lab emphasizes community-centered trial design, particularly for underserved populations, and maintains close ties with the NIH-funded COVID-19 Prevention Network for rapid pandemic response.
