Lifestyle
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett: Leading COVID-19 Expert Who ‘Invented’ the Vaccine
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett’s tireless work and research in developing a COVID-19 vaccine is saving millions of lives. Here are 5 things to know about the young, talented scientist.
She’s a pioneer in new vaccine technology and one of the people attempting to bring coronavirus to a halt. Now, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett will bring her talents to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health as an assistant professor in Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases. Here’s what else you need to know about Dr. Corbett:
1. She’s A Research Fellow At The NIAID Vaccine Research Center
Corbett has worked at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (part of the National Institute of Health) as a researcher for six years. She’s met with leaders in the health industry and world leaders, including current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. At the very onset of the pandemic in the United States, she was already in the lab working on a vaccine solution. Now, she’ll head the Coronaviruses & Other Relevant Emerging Infectious Diseases (CoreID) Lab at Harvard to continue that significant work.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett chats with President Joe Biden at the NIH, 2/11/21 (Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock)
2. Her Research Helped Develop The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
It’s not just Dolly Parton we should thank for the Moderna jab. On March 3, 2020, just 122 Americans had tested positive for COVID-19. Thirteen days later, Corbett and her team had already begun stage one clinical trials for a vaccine. It was the fastest progress a scientist had ever made toward a possible vaccine.
3. She’s Earned Praise From Dr. Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked during a December 2020 forum by the National Urban League about the input Black scientists had on developing the coronavirus vaccine. He immediately praised Corbett’s tireless work. “”The very vaccine that’s one of the two that has absolutely exquisite levels — 94 to 95% efficacy against clinical disease and almost 100% efficacy against serious disease that are shown to be clearly safe — that vaccine was actually developed in my institute’s vaccine research center by a team of scientists led by Dr. Barney Graham and his close colleague, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, or Kizzy Corbett,” Fauci told the forum.
“Kizzy is an African American scientist who is right at the forefront of the development of the vaccine,” he continued. “So, the first thing you might want to say to my African American brothers and sisters is that the vaccine that you’re going to be taking was developed by an African American woman. And that is just a fact.”
4. She’s Fighting Against Vaccine ‘Hesitancy’
Now that the three coronavirus vaccines are here and available to most Americans, Corbett is now trying to persuade hesitant adults to actually get the jab. A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 61% of unvaccinated Americans don’t plan on getting the shot. Corbett told AP that she understands why some are scared.
While the speedy development of the vaccines is “historic and it is brag-worthy,” she says, “we really should have started the conversations very early about what went into it. [There] are things that even I can’t even answer. But what I can say is that we’re doing everything we can to make sure we can answer it as soon as possible.”
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett shows her research to Dr. Anthony Fauci and then-President Donald Trump, 3/3/20 (Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock)
5. She Wants Other Women To Follow Her Lead
Corbett told Black Enterprise that she tries to stay true to herself, separate from her work. And that’s important for other women to do, no matter their industry. “I am Christian. I’m black. I am Southern, I’m an empath. I’m feisty, sassy, and fashionable. That’s kind of how I describe myself. I would say that my role as a scientist is really about my passion and purpose for the world and for giving back to the world,” Corbett said.
April 15 (UPI) — The body of O.J. Simpson, who died last week at the age of 76, is to be cremated, a lawyer representing the ex-football superstar’s estate said, adding his brain will not be donated for research.
Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s longtime attorney and executor, told the New York Post that his client’s body is to be cremated Tuesday in Las Vegas.
He said Simpson’s family also gave a “hard no” to scientists seeking to examine the former running back’s brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is better known as CTE.
CTE is a rare and little understood brain disorder that is likely caused by repeated blows to the head. According to the Mayo Clinic, CTE results in the death of nerve cells in the brain and the only way to definitively diagnose it is with an autopsy of the organ after death.
Memory and thinking problems, confusion, personality changes and erratic behavior, including aggression, depression and suicidal ideation, are among CTE’s symptoms, the Alzheimer’s Association said.
The disease has been found in those who play contact sports, including football and hockey.
LaVergne confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that at least one person has called seeking Simpson’s brain.
“His entire body, including his brain, will be cremated,” he said.
Simpson died Wednesday following a battle with cancer.
Known by the nickname “The Juice,” Simpson was a NFL superstar during the 1970s, which made him a household name that propelled him into film and television during the next decade.
But his stardom would come crashing down in the mid-1990s when he was accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
His high-profile trial lasted months, but ended with his acquittal.
In 2008, he was found guilty on a dozen charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery, and was paroled in 2017 after serving nine years of his 33-year sentence.
Urban South Brewery Houston will host its upcoming Anniversary Party from Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, in the HTX Taproom, starting at 11 AM, celebrating four years of crafting exceptional brews and fostering community culture. This milestone event will be an exciting day featuring live music, food, activities, and a vendor market.
Beer enthusiasts are also in for a treat with the release of four exclusive anniversary specialty beers. Highlights include “Press Start,” a crafted Czech Pale Lager brewed in collaboration with Parleaux Beer Lab. Additionally, beer fans can indulge in “Level Up,” an Old-Fashioned Cocktail Sour Ale infused with orange peel, Luxardo cherry syrup, and subtle bourbon barrel notes. The offerings continue with “High Score,” a robust Double IPA bursting with flavors of Mosaic, Citra, and Chinook hops, and “Game Over,” a decadent Neapolitan Ice Cream Stout layered with strawberry fruit, Tahitian vanilla bean, and milk chocolate.
To make the celebration even more memorable, fans can pre-order an Exclusive 8-Bit Beer Box featuring the four-anniversary specialty beers (Press Start, Level Up, High Score, Game Over), a 16oz can-shaped Silipint with discounted refills, and 2 tokens redeemable for draft beer.
The Anniversary Party is open to the public, welcoming families and furry friends. Urban South Brewery invites everyone to join in the festivities and toast to four years of brewing excellence.
For more information on Urban South’s Anniversary Celebration, follow the Houston taproom on Instagram and Facebook.
Lifestyle
$600 Million Showdown: Michael Jackson’s Estate Executors Refusing to Pay Pop Star’s Mom $500k Legal Bill
Now She is Fighting to Block Music Catalog Sale
The war between Michael Jackson ’ s mother Katherine and the two executors running his estate has heated up. According to court documents, lawyers for the executors, John Branca and John McClain , asked the court to shut down Katherine’s recent demand for $500k.
As we first reported, Katherine filed a motion asking that she be reimbursed $561,548. She said she spent the amount on a team of lawyers to fight the executors over the sale of Michael’s music catalog .
The executors asked the court to approve the music catalog sale in 2022. Katherine quickly opposed the deal. The parties went back and forth in court for months until a hearing was held on the matter.
At the hearing, Katherine testified that Michael did not want the music catalog sold and that he considered it a lifeline. Michael’s children Paris and Blanket told the court they opposed the deal too. Blanket said he opposed on emotional grounds.
The executors fired back claiming Katherine has a pattern of objecting to lucrative deals. They argued the market was hot for the music catalog sale and they needed to take advantage of it.
“The Estate was teetering on the verge of collapse, with more than $400 million in debt that encumbered Michael’s most significant assets and little or no liquidity or means to service that debt. Through creative thinking, hard work and business savvy—and, of course, Michael’s extraordinary creative legacy—the Executors transformed the MJJ Business into a profitable enterprise,” the executors said as they argued for the deal to be approved.
Despite the family’s plea, the judge approved the executors’ deal and allowed them to move forward with the sale.
Within weeks, Katherine had filed an appeal of the decision. She argued the executors did not have the authority to sell Michael’s assets.
Recently, the executors argued that Katherine’s appeal should be dismissed. They said they had every right to sell the catalog. No decision has been reached on the appeal.
On February 9, 2024, the estate announced they sold one half of Jackson’s music to Sony for $600 million — a deal that Katherine said should not have gone through.
As part of the appeal, Katherine won a couple of small victories against the estate. As a result, she asked the court to award her the $561k in legal fees.
Now, the executors asked the court to deny the motion for legal fees. In their motion, they argued, “The Petition does not indicate the source from which Mrs. Jackson’s counsel seeks to have the requested attorney’s fees and expenses paid. It is not clear whether she is seeking payment from the probate estate or from the Trust.”
Further, the executors argued, “To the extents Mrs. Jackson seeks payment from the probate estate, the Petition lacks merit because it relies on provisions of the Trust, claiming that payment of legal fees is required by provisions of the Trust authorizing the Trustees to make payments “in [their] absolute discretion, for [Mrs. Jackson’s] care, support, maintenance, comfort and well-being.”
A judge has yet to rule.
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