caption: Sabin Vaccine Institute Research & Development President Kelly Warfield

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virologist and vaccine development leader Kelly Warfield has joined the Sabin Vaccine Institute as its Research & Development President to drive Sabin’s current candidate vaccines toward licensure and expand its pipeline.

A member of Sabin’s executive team, Warfield will manage the R&D program and team, collaborating with peers, cross-functional heads, and the Board of Trustees to shape Sabin’s strategic vision. She will report to CEO Amy Finan, who has led the R&D team since 2017 and revitalized it by launching new programs, securing new funding, and enhancing its capabilities.

“With our success comes the need for a new leader with the scientific, regulatory, and business experience to propel our R&D work forward and enable me to focus on growing Sabin,” says Finan. “This is the right time to make that move, and we have the right person for the role in Kelly Warfield.”

A seasoned executive and scientist, Warfield brings a wealth of experience in guiding life science teams to build new competencies and advance vaccine programs across various sectors, including government, start-ups, and mid-sized biotech/pharma companies. In her most recent role as senior vice president for science & development at Emergent BioSolutions, she managed a multinational team of over 300 scientists with an annual budget exceeding $100 million, and coordinated partnerships with BARDA, NIAID, the U.S. Department of Defense, and CEPI.

"Kelly brings the strategic and scientific leadership needed to advance Sabin’s two vaccine candidates to licensure and expand our vaccine portfolio. Just as importantly, she has the passion and expertise to tackle the technical and operational challenges of developing vaccines for diseases that disproportionately impact people in under-resourced settings," says Finan.

Warfield says she’s honored to be Sabin’s first R&D president and deeply inspired by the organization’s ethos. “Throughout my career, I have focused on addressing unmet medical needs via public-private partnerships,” she says. “My greatest fulfillment comes from developing vaccines to combat those emerging disease threats. So, this role at Sabin aligns perfectly with my long-held interest in using science to help those most in need.”

A critical priority for Warfield will be to work with partners to bring Sabin’s candidate vaccines against Marburg and Sudan ebolavirus diseases to licensure. “These vaccines, if licensed, could be game-changers, especially for communities in outbreak-prone regions of Africa,” says Warfield.

Beyond her expertise in vaccine development, Kelly has a deep understanding of novel regulatory pathways, including the Animal Rule and Accelerated Approval processes. She has successfully navigated U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency regulations for product approvals.

Prior to joining Emergent in 2014, Warfield co-founded Integrated Biotherapeutics, Inc. and led its vaccine development, specializing in the development of antivirals and vaccines for Ebola and Marburg viruses. She has also led preclinical development for a wide array of antivirals, including influenza and dengue.

Warfield began her research career as a student intern at the National Cancer Institute. As a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, she developed vaccines and therapeutics for highly lethal filoviruses and received training to work in advanced biosafety (BSL-3 and BSL-4) containment laboratories.

Warfield has authored over 100 publications and book chapters and holds more than 15 patents.

In addition to her professional achievements, Warfield has served on the boards of non-profits and start-ups, and currently advises an organization that provides STEM opportunities to underserved communities.

About the Sabin Vaccine Institute

The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policy makers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with three decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.org and follow us on X, @SabinVaccine.

Media Contact:
Monika Guttman
Media Relations Specialist
Sabin Vaccine Institute
+1 (202) 662-1841
press@sabin.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/440f3fa4-a78f-4d8a-85c4-e84724a6c69b