The Variants and Vaccines Working Group brings together two original MassCPR efforts — the Vaccine Working Group, launched in 2020 to advance vaccine research and development against SARS-CoV-2, and the Emerging Variants Working Group, established in 2021 to study the virus’s evolution and its changing interactions with the human host.

Members of these groups were instrumental in the development and testing of two COVID-19 vaccines that received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MassCPR members Kizzmekia Corbett (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), Lindsey Baden (Brigham and Women’s Hospital), and Andrea Carfi (Moderna) contributed to the design and clinical testing of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine, while Dan Barouch (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) conducted foundational research that enabled the Johnson & Johnson single-dose Ad26 adenovirus-based vaccine. The approval and deployment of these and other vaccines were pivotal in mitigating the global impact of COVID-19.

Today, the group convenes experts across virology, epidemiology, infectious disease, immunology, computational biology, molecular biology, and critical care medicine. Each monthly meeting features:

• “Weather Reports” – real-time epidemiologic updates on viruses and variants of concern.
• “Literature Review” – discussion of key new research findings and publications.
• Featured Presentation – an in-depth talk by a leading expert on a timely topic.

This global exchange of data and insights has fostered rapid understanding of viral evolution and regional disease patterns, shaping responses worldwide.

While rooted in COVID-19 science, the group has since broadened its focus to include a wide array of human pathogens such as Mpox, HIV-1, Ebola virus, Lassa fever virus, Nipah virus, Powassan virus, influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), malaria, and Lyme disease, among others.

Meetings: Second Friday of every month at 3:00 p.m. ET