Stephenson Laboratory

Principal Investigator:

Dr. Stephenson is a physician-scientist in the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research (CVVR) and the Division of Infectious Diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She has expertise in conducting phase 1 clinical trials testing novel immunologic interventions for HIV and emerging infectious diseases like SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was the site Principal Investigator for the first-in-human trial of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine, as well as for the Phase 3 efficacy trials of remdesivir, Novavax vaccine, and casirivimab and imdevimab monoclonal antibodies. She is currently the protocol co-chair of CoVPN 3006, the largest federally-funded study to test whether the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can block SARS-CoV-2 transmission. This COVID-19 work complements her previous contributions in testing a mosaic Ad26-based HIV vaccine and broadly neutralizing antibodies for HIV prevention, treatment and remission. In addition, Dr. Stephenson is an outspoken advocate for increasing research equity for Black and Latinx populations in clinical trials, and is committed to ensuring access to promising medicines and vaccines for our most vulnerable communities.

Dr. Stephenson received her medical degree from New York University, and completed her internal medicine training at Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital, followed by infectious diseases training at Mass General Brigham. She also obtained a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University where she focused on the ethics of clinical trials, isolation and quarantine.

Lab Members