NYU’s Vaccine Center: 5 Shocking Truths You Never Knew That Could Change Your Perspective!

Since its inception in 2018, NYU’s Vaccine Center has made significant strides in the field of vaccine research, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just two years after opening, the center emerged as a key player in the rapid development of crucial vaccines to combat the virus that reshaped lives around the globe.

Among the center's notable achievements is its role in clinical trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, where it vaccinated the first human participant in May 2020. It also enrolled nearly 1,000 participants in a phase 3 trial for the AstraZeneca vaccine candidate in November 2020. The center further contributed to important national studies, including the “Mix and Match” trial for booster shots, and conducted evaluations on vaccine responses among pregnant and postpartum individuals.

“We partnered with NIH and also some other governmental agencies. We also did some partnerships with industry, and we collaborated with them to produce and create the studies that led to the approval of the COVID-19 vaccines,” said Angelica Cifuentes Kottkamp, MD, the associate director for Research and Diversity at NYU Vaccine Center. “We did the efficacy and safety trials, and thanks to those trials, we have those vaccines available. They were available in a timely manner to be able to control part of the pandemic in that way, as prevention."

A crucial aspect of Cifuentes Kottkamp's role involves ensuring that diverse populations are represented in vaccine trials—an objective that addresses a recognized shortcoming in public health practices, particularly in the early years of the pandemic. She emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in research, stating, “I like to think that we are including everyone so people feel represented when we're talking about medicine and about results of these vaccine trials.”

To foster trust among marginalized communities, Cifuentes Kottkamp is dedicated to conversational outreach and education efforts. “We like to partner with many community members of New York City and to hear what are their concerns and how they feel about vaccines and what questions they have because they trust us,” she noted.

NYU's Vaccine Center is a member of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium, a Clinical Trials Network that includes ten vaccine and treatment evaluation unit centers nationwide. With this collaboration, they are pioneering new ideas and concepts in vaccines that are essential for controlling epidemic outbreaks. Cifuentes Kottkamp explains that the network aims to explore different applications of vaccines directly pertinent to public health.

The center’s proactive approach not only enhances the scope of vaccine research but also addresses the critical need for equitable representation in medical studies. This focus on diversity is particularly relevant in the wake of the pandemic, where disparities in health outcomes have come to the forefront of public consciousness.

In a subsequent episode, Cifuentes Kottkamp will discuss NYU's strategy for identifying and treating zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, further illustrating the center’s commitment to advancing public health through research and community engagement.