Meet 4 Black Scientists Fighting COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 across the U.S. has had a huge effect on black communities. Many cities, including Chicago and Milwaukee, have seen African Americans represent the majority of their new cases. However, there are a number of scientists and researchers working non-stop to find a treatment to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Here are some of the black scientists working to find a vaccine for COVID-19.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is a viral immunologist at the National Institutes of Health. She is leading the effort to develop an  ofollow noopener noreferrer" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/nih-clinical-trial-investigational-vaccine-covid-19-begins" aria-label="mRNA vaccine for COVID-19">mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, which has moved into Phase 1 at record speed. She recently confirmed to CNN’s Anderson Cooper that projections are at eight months for a vaccine being made available to the general population.

Dr. Tomeka Suber

Dr. Tomeka Suber

is a pulmonologist and an expert in acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Dr. Christopher Barnes

Dr. Christopher Barnes is an HHMI Hanna Grays Fellow at California Institute of Technology. His work is helping find a cure by crystallizing antibodies to fight against COVID-19 to help identify more effective treatments and a possible vaccine.

Dr. Michael Johnson

Dr. Michael Johnson is a professor at the University of Arizona investigating if copper could be used to alter the binding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Research is still in the early stages. The scientists hope that copper, in conjunction with other treatments, will deliver a solid one-two punch to COVID-19.