Research & Discovery

March 29, 2017 | Elizabeth Caron - UConn Communications

Responding to a Crisis: A Vaccine for Zika

Pathobiology professor Paulo Verardi began working to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus at the height of last year's outbreak in his native country Brazil.

Pathobiology professor Paulo Verardi began working to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus at the height of last year's outbreak in his native country Brazil. ()

While a new Gallup poll finds most Americans are not worried about Zika, the recent case of an infected baby born in San Diego demonstrates the virus is a very real issue in this country. One UConn scientist has been working on a vaccine for Zika since the news about cases in Brazil first surfaced last year. For Paulo Verardi, the work is both professional and personal – he’s a native of Brazil. And for his lab, creating a vaccine that is both effective and economical is a daily goal.