Q&A with Madison Davis: A Needle-Free Alternative for Vaccine Delivery
October 31, 2024PhRMA Foundation predoctoral awardee Madison Davis at the University of Texas at Austin is studying a needle-free alternative to deliver vaccines.
Getting a vaccine can feel intimidating for people who fear needles and dislike the associated pinch of pain. Currently, nearly all recommended vaccines in the U.S. are given via injection, but researchers like PhRMA Foundation awardee Madison Davis are working on alternative methods to deliver vaccines.
Davis, a PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, received a 2024 Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Delivery for her work to assess the performance of a film-based vaccine developed in her lab. The thin, pliable film, similar to a Listerine strip, is applied to the inside of the cheek or under the tongue.
Davis will develop an in vitro model by growing cells in a lab-controlled environment to mimic the mouth’s lining in order to test the vaccine to identify the optimal combination of ingredients for the film and monitor immune responses in real time.
Watch this video to learn more about Davis and her research.
Learn more about the PhRMA Foundation’s fellowship and grant opportunities. Check out more researcher stories on our blog.
