García-Rivera Dagmar

García-Rivera holds a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences (2006), became a senior researcher in 2015, and a first-level biotechnologist in 2023. Since 2008, she has been working on the development of preventive vaccines. Since 2022, she has served as vice-director for research and development at the Finlay Vaccine Institute, Cuba. She is the author or co-author of more than 50 scientific papers published in high-impact journals, including The Lancet Regional Health-Americas, Med, Vaccine, and ACS Central Science. In 2020, she accelerated the development of the SOBERANA® COVID-19 vaccines, whose phase I, II, and III clinical trials proved their safety, immunogenicity, and effectiveness in both children and adults. Her expertise encompasses conjugate vaccines, immunology, preclinical models, clinical trials, and technology transfer. She holds two patents and has received several annual awards from the Cuban Academy of Sciences, two WIPO Gold Medals (2022), the Carlos J. Finlay Order (2019), and the title of Hero of Labour of the Republic of Cuba (2021). She is a full member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, and of the Innovation Committee of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health.