Speakers

During her 22-year tenure at the NIH, Dr. Cassetti built and led diverse, multidisciplinary teams; established strategic collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO), national governments, and global health partners; and played a central role in preparing for and responding to emerging infectious disease outbreaks, especially Zika and COVID 19, including advancing vaccines and establishing large international research partnerships. Since 2025, she has worked as a senior scientific consultant for the WHO R&D Blueprint team, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Biotecnopolo in Siena, and the European Vaccine Hub.

Dr. Cassetti holds a Ph.D. in virology from the University of Rome, Italy. Prior to her leadership roles at NIH, she conducted research in virology and vaccine R&D within the NIH intramural program, academia, and the pharmaceutical sector (Wyeth, now Pfizer). Her accomplishments have been recognized with several awards in the US and Europe, including a knighthood conferred by the President of the Republic of Italy.