Dr. Peter Jay Hotez stands as a preeminent leader in global health and vaccine development, renowned for his pioneering work at the intersection of tropical medicine and public health. He currently serves as the Founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, where he also holds the Texas Children's Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics. Additionally, he co-directs the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and serves as a University Professor of Biology at Baylor University. Dr. Hotez received his B.A. with honors from Yale University in 1980, followed by a Ph.D. in biochemical parasitology from Rockefeller University in 1986 and an M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College in 1987, establishing the foundation for his distinguished career in medical science and public health.
Dr. Hotez has led or co-led the development of innovative vaccines targeting neglected tropical diseases including hookworm, schistosomiasis, and Chagas disease, with several candidates currently in clinical trials. His most impactful recent contribution came during the global pandemic when, alongside Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, he co-developed Corbevax, a low-cost recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine specifically designed for global accessibility. This groundbreaking vaccine technology received emergency use authorization in India and Indonesia and has been administered to over 100 million individuals worldwide, representing a major achievement in equitable vaccine distribution. His research portfolio extends beyond pandemics to include sustained work on parasitic diseases that affect hundreds of millions in resource-limited settings, with continuous funding from major institutions including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NIH, and international government partners.
Beyond his scientific contributions, Dr. Hotez serves as a Founding Editor-in-Chief of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and has authored influential books including Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism and The Deadly Rise of Anti-science that address vaccine hesitancy and anti-science movements. His advocacy work as a leading vaccine defender earned him and Dr. Bottazzi a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2022 for developing a low-cost global health vaccine without patent restrictions. Dr. Hotez continues to champion science communication and combat misinformation through extensive public engagement, leveraging his dual perspective as both a vaccine scientist and parent of an autistic child. His current research focuses on expanding vaccine access for neglected diseases while addressing the growing challenges of disinformation in public health, positioning him at the forefront of both scientific innovation and science advocacy.
