Senior Director in Vaccines Clinical Research at Pfizer’s Pearl River, N.Y., research site. As a global clinical lead, she’s the head doctor theoversees the clinical trial process when a new vaccine candidate is tested in people. She comes from a family of physicians. But Absalon forged her own path by focusing on adult infectious diseases and public health. Early in her career, she did research and teaching in HIV care and prevention, traveling to Africa several times for projects. 

Her focus has been on developing vaccines that help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Her recent work includes developing a maternal vaccine that could help protect infants during the first few months when their immune systems are underdeveloped. “The whole concept of maternal immunization is not new, but it’s only recently gotten more attention as a preventative approach. From a clinical research perspective, it’s intriguing to me. It’s an opportunity to no longer look at pregnant women as a vulnerable population and potentially prevent a devastating disease in infants around the world,” she says.