London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Christopher da Costa (MSc Clinical Tropical Medicine, 1986 and PhD, 1993) works as a Vaccine and Therapeutics Research and Development Leader for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Back in 2020, Christopher gave us an insight into his day working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, he shares his experiences at LSHTM and achievements since graduating.

Why did you decide to study at LSHTM?

I was interested in pursuing a career in medical research in addition to clinical practice. I have worked in vaccine and therapeutic drug development for almost 20 years, helping develop new vaccines and medicines to prevent or treat several diseases. My PhD degree in immunology has been particularly useful. The relationships I formed at the School were important for professional networking, job references and publishing peer-reviewed articles. Since leaving LSHTM, my path has crossed with several alumni during the course of my career.

Do you have any standout memories from LSHTM?

I remember being profoundly frightened of working with a large number of mice, which I had to immunise and bleed when developing monoclonal antibodies as part of my PhD work. A postdoc from Greece called Harris eventually helped me overcome my fears!

Please summarise your achievements over the years and how you feel about them?

I have practised medicine in Africa, the UK and the USA and held several academic positions (including a Lecturer at LSHTM). I conducted research in infectious diseases and other therapeutic areas working for some of the world’s best pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Merck, GSK, Pfizer, and Janssen. I also worked for the United States FDA as a consultant in vaccine and blood transfusion product safety.

I currently work for CEPI, where I lead several research and development (R&D) teams. We are developing novel vaccines and therapeutics for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), involving cutting edge technologies such as mRNA, DNA, Viral Vectored, Subunit, attenuated and inactivated vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for use in pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis of outbreaks of diseases of concern to LMICs. I am also CEPI’s R&D, Hubs and Talent Lead for the Partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing (PAVM), which was born out of the memorandum of understanding between CEPI and the African Union/African CDC to support local vaccine manufacturing in Africa. I feel very proud of my achievements.

How has COVID-19 affected your work?

It restricted my ability to travel and meet my colleagues in an office. On the other hand, it has provided immense opportunities for me to continue cutting edge vaccine development work.

What do you hope to further achieve in your field in the future?

I hope to contribute to the eventual licensure of broadly protective vaccines against coronaviruses and novel vaccines against priority pathogens such as Lassa Fever, Nipah, and MERS. I also want to contribute to technology transfer and the establishment of manufacturing for cutting edge vaccine technologies to Africa. Finally, I hope to continue contributing to equitable access to lifesaving vaccines and therapeutics across the globe.

What advice do you have for current students?

To have a clear vision of what one wants to ultimately achieve and relentlessly work towards it.

Want to share your story? Email alumni@lshtm.ac.uk.