Dr Kaitlin Buick
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Kaitlin Buick completed her PhD in Biomedical Science at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington under the supervision of Dr Lisa Connor and Professor Ian Hermans in 2026. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Connor Laboratory. Her thesis investigated the role of type I interferons during vaccination with mRNA-based vaccines.
Research interest
Vaccines have had a profound positive impact on human health and have been predicted to have prevented over 150 million deaths globally. While some live attenuated vaccines, for example the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, induce effective immune responses for most people, those in our community with immune compromising conditions cannot safely receive these types of vaccines. This leaves them vulnerable to infection and disease.
Kaitlin's project focuses on developing a safe and effective mRNA-based measles vaccine as an alternative to the live attenuated vaccine that can be administered to those with compromised immune systems, for example those with type I interferon deficiencies.
