Kathrin Jansen

Kathrin Jansen is a renowned scientist and vaccine researcher, best known for her significant contributions to the development of vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV) and pneumococcal disease. She is currently the Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development at Pfizer.

Early Life and Education

Jansen was born and raised in Germany. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology at the University of Marburg, and later earned her Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Cologne.

Career

Jansen began her career at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Germany, where she conducted research on bacterial proteins. She later moved to the United States and joined the Merck Research Laboratories, where she led the team that developed the first vaccine for HPV, known as Gardasil.

In 2010, Jansen joined Pfizer as the head of Vaccine Research & Development. Under her leadership, Pfizer developed the Prevnar 13 vaccine for pneumococcal disease, which is now used worldwide.

Most recently, Jansen played a pivotal role in the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which has been instrumental in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Awards and Recognition

Throughout her career, Jansen has received numerous awards and recognition for her contributions to vaccine research. She was named one of the "50 Most Influential People in Vaccines" by Terrapinn's World Vaccine Congress in 2020.

See Also

• Vaccine
• Pfizer
• COVID-19 vaccine