Vaccinology: From Outbreak to Rollout

Harvard Extension School

BIOT E-212

Section 1

CRN 26762

View Course Details
This course explores the process of creating a vaccine, from the initial identification of a pathogen through the design and testing process to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. This course teaches students how to assess the logistical and societal challenges facing vaccines. Technologies such as new delivery platforms (for example, mRNA) or discovery and design platforms (for example, machine learning-based protein design) as well as new targets for vaccines (for example, personalized cancer vaccines) are also covered in this course. Through lectures, discussions, case studies, and critical reading and presentations of primary literature, students learn the fundamentals of vaccine design, vaccine responses, preclinical testing of vaccines, clinical trials for vaccines, and the rollout of vaccines. The course emphasizes the real-world applications of vaccine technologies and the real-world considerations a company or government must contend with when designing or rolling out a vaccine. Students may not take both BIOT E-212 and BIOT E-215 (offered previously) for degree or certificate credit.

Instructor Info

Catherine Jacob-Dolan, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Departments of Basic Science and Vaccine and Infectious Disease, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center


Meeting Info

T 11:00am - 1:00pm (1/26 - 5/16)

Participation Option: Online Synchronous

Deadlines

Last day to register: January 22, 2026

Prerequisites

This course is designed for graduate students with prior knowledge of molecular biology and/or immunology.

Notes

This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. See minimum technology requirements.

All Sections of this Course

CRN Section # Participation Option(s) Instructor Section Status Meets Term Dates
35629 1 Online Asynchronous, Online Synchronous Cancelled Jun 23 to Aug 8
26762 1 Online Synchronous Catherine Jacob-Dolan Open T 11:00am - 1:00pm
Jan 26 to May 16