The Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health’s T32 Training Program was the first of its kind in the United States and continues to be a model for excellence.
Photo: Clockwise from top left: Emily Stucke, Sumanth Cherukumilli, Hannah Despres, and Shana Gregory
For 25 years, the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has been a trailblazer in preparing the next generation of vaccinologists through its T32 Training Program in Vaccinology.
The first program of its kind in the United States, the T32 program has become a model for excellence, shaping the careers of scientists and physicians dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges in infectious disease prevention and global health equity.
CVD’s T32 program is supported by a training grant from the National Institutes of Health and focuses on providing postdoctoral fellows with a multidisciplinary foundation in vaccinology. The training includes expertise in immunology, clinical trials, epidemiology, and global health, fostering a holistic understanding of how vaccines can save lives and improve public health outcomes.
CVD’s 2024-2025 fellows in this program include:
- Emily Stucke, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in CVD’s Malaria Research Program who studies the var gene family of Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria parasite responsible for the most malaria deaths.
- Sumanth Cherukumilli, MD, who studies the impact of antimicrobial resistance on infant mortality in low- and middle-income countries, specifically Mali.
- Shana Gregory, PhD, who studies the long-term immune response in children vaccinated with the licensed live oral typhoid vaccine.
- Hannah Despres, PhD, who studies SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development in individuals with comorbidities.