Peter Jay Hotez

Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD is Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. He holds the Texas Children's Hospital Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics and serves as Co-Director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. Dr. Hotez is a leading expert in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development.

Education:

• MD, Weill Cornell Medical College (1987)
• PhD, The Rockefeller University (1986)
• BA (magna cum laude), Yale University (1980)

His research focuses on developing vaccines for neglected diseases affecting impoverished populations globally. Major projects include coronavirus vaccines (including COBEVAX used in India and Indonesia), human hookworm vaccine (in phase 1 trials), and schistosomiasis vaccine. His work integrates molecular virology with global health implementation.

Recent publications emphasize vaccine diplomacy, pandemic response strategies, and combating science misinformation. His corpus addresses both technical vaccine development and societal challenges in global immunization programs.

Awards and Honors:

• Member, National Academy of Medicine
• Fellow, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
• Founding Editor-in-Chief, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

Dr. Hotez leads the Center for Vaccine Development, overseeing translational research from antigen discovery through clinical trials. He maintains global collaborations through vaccine diplomacy initiatives and advises governments and organizations on pandemic preparedness.