Richard B. Kennedy

Richard B. Kennedy, Ph.D., is a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with appointments in the Department of Immunology and the Division of General Internal Medicine. He is a leading researcher in the Vaccine Research Group, where he investigates the immunogenetics and systems biology of vaccine responses.

• University: Mayo Clinic
• School: College of Medicine and Science
• Department: Department of Immunology
• Academic Rank: Professor

Education:

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
• B.S. in Microbiology, Brigham Young University (minors in Chemistry and Italian)

Research Interests: Dr. Kennedy's research focuses on understanding the variability in human immune responses to vaccines. His work spans viral pathogens including influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, smallpox, and SARS-CoV-2. He employs systems biology, vaccinomics, and immunogenetics to study host genetic variation, epitope mapping, adjuvants, immunosenescence, and microRNA regulation of NK and T cell responses. His goal is to improve vaccine efficacy, reduce adverse events, and develop personalized vaccination strategies.

Recent Research Trends: His most recent publications highlight a strong focus on systems vaccinology, including polygenic prediction of immune responses, comparative analysis of influenza vaccine platforms, and identification of conserved SARS-CoV-2 epitopes. His work increasingly integrates computational biology with high-throughput immunological assays to predict and optimize vaccine-induced immunity.

Scientific Awards:

• Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging Award (2014–2016)
• Discovery Translation Program Award (2014–2016)

Editorial and Professional Service: Dr. Kennedy serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Bioterrorism, Biosecurity and Biodefense and is a member of the American Association of Immunologists since 2013. He has been a principal investigator on multiple NIH-funded grants, including projects on measles, mumps, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccine responses.

Advising and Grants: As Principal Investigator on several National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grants, Dr. Kennedy leads research projects on the immunogenetics of vaccine response. His current and recent projects include studies on COVID-19 immunity, mumps vaccine systems biology, and measles vaccine failure in Southern India. His work involves extensive collaboration with both national and international partners.

Laboratories and Teams: Dr. Kennedy is a co-leader of the Vaccine Research Group at Mayo Clinic, founded in 1989 and led by Gregory A. Poland, M.D. The group conducts NIH-funded research using advanced techniques such as transcriptomics, genotyping, HLA typing, and high-throughput immune assays. The lab focuses on both fundamental immunology and translational vaccine development.