Taking his Shot: Nate Garcia '06 and Pfizer Team Developing COVID-19 Vaccine
As countries throughout the world continue to battle an unpredictable and devastating novel coronavirus, the race is on to develop a vaccine that will allow humans to co-exist with it. Working at the same Pfizer Inc. site where the polio vaccine was developed, Browning alum Nathaniel (Nate) Garcia ‘06, has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.
An associate scientist at the company’s Pearl River, NY, location, Nate’s journey to the lab was unexpected. “I always wanted to be a doctor and to make yourself attractive to medical schools you have to have actual research on your resume,” he said. An opportunity to work in a pulmonary immunology lab at Weill-Cornell Medical College opened his eyes to a whole new field.
“For the first time in my education, I was not great at something. I was feeling my way through it, I was struggling a little bit, and all of that fostered some really healthy learning which got me interested in the research life,” he said.
“Now well into the second phase of the clinical trials, the vaccine that Nate developed assays for could be ready for commercial distribution as early as October.”
After putting himself through Manhattan College as an EMT, he took on an additional job in security at Pfizer and then began working in a lab there. After COVID-19 hit, Nate says, “we had a chance to make some history and save a lot of lives." With a storied background in vaccine research and vast resources, Pfizer jumped at the chance to start developing the vaccine. Now well into the second phase of the clinical trials, the vaccine that Nate developed assays for could be ready for commercial distribution as early as October. “It’s not often that you get the opportunity to impact people’s lives in such a big way,” he adds.
Nate, who came to Browning in Grade 7 as part of the Prep for Prep program, credits former faculty member Johnny Cook for sparking his love for biology. “He held me to a really high standard and that was different for me. I kind of was used to coasting and it wasn’t good enough for him,” he said. He also mentions Cynthia Jackson's Anatomy and Physiology class as another highlight of his time behind the red doors.
While it’s exciting to be on the cutting edge of the hunt for this vaccine, Nate, who has worked for Pfizer for two years, worries about the public’s perception of a drug that gets to market on an expedited basis. But rather than wondering whether a vaccine is safe, he encourages everyone to simply do their own research, “All of that information is available. Self-education is a more valuable tool than getting your research off of Instagram or Twitter, which is baffling to me,” he says.
Beyond life in the lab, Nate makes time to give back. He is the community engagement lead for the Global Black Community at Pfizer, advocating for the advancement and retention of Black colleagues and seeking to expose Black youth to STEM careers. He is also working with a group of Black Browning alumni to improve equity and inclusion at our school. “Browning is a great place, bar none,” he says, “and no matter how imperfect, it’s still ours, and we want to make it better.”