Skip to main content

Georgia Doris Tomaras

A. Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Immunology
Surgery, Surgical Sciences
Box 104777 DUMC, Bay 47 Carmichael Bldg, 300 N. Duke St, Durham, NC 27701
300 N Duke St, Durham, NC 27701

Overview


Dr. Georgia Tomaras is a tenured Professor of Surgery, Professor of Immunology, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).  Dr. Tomaras is Co-Director of the Center for Human Systems Immunology (CHSI) Duke University and Director of the Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). Her national and international leadership roles include: Executive Management Team (EMT) leader and mPI for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN); Director of Lab Sciences (HVTN); and Chair of NIH Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Board of Scientific Counselors. Her prior leadership roles include serving as the Director of Research, Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI); Director of the DHVI Training Program; Associate Director of DHVI Research; Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in AIDS (IRTPA) Duke; Chair of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee (AVRS), and Advisory Counsel member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Tomaras’ primary research focus is deciphering mechanisms of protective human immunity and identification of immune correlates of protection to further development of effective vaccines against infectious diseases.  

Current Appointments & Affiliations


A. Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Immunology · 2024 - Present Surgery, Surgical Sciences, Surgery
Professor in Surgery · 2015 - Present Surgery, Surgical Sciences, Surgery
Chief, Division of Surgical Sciences · 2022 - Present Surgery, Surgical Sciences, Surgery
Professor in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology · 2015 - Present Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Basic Science Departments
Professor in Integrative Immunobiology · 2015 - Present Integrative Immunobiology, Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute · 2007 - Present Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Institutes and Centers
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute · 2014 - Present Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers
Core Faculty in Innovation & Entrepreneurship · 2019 - Present Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, University Initiatives & Academic Support Units

In the News


Published March 19, 2024
Duke Awards 32 New Distinguished Professorships for 2024
Published December 18, 2023
Leadership Comes Naturally to Kevin Saunders
Published November 19, 2019
Global List of Highly Cited Puts Duke in Top Ten

View All News

Recent Publications


A polyvalent DNA prime with matched polyvalent protein/GLA-SE boost regimen elicited the most robust and broad IgG and IgG3 V1V2 binding antibody and CD4+ T cell responses among 13 HIV vaccine trials.

Journal Article Emerg Microbes Infect · December 2025 Developing an effective HIV vaccine is a momentous challenge. An exceptionally wide range of candidate HIV vaccines have been tested, yet many were poorly immunogenic, and of the select few that advanced into efficacy trials, only one demonstrated any effi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Fixed dosing versus weight-based dosing of HIV-1 prophylactic monoclonal antibodies in adults: a post-hoc, cross-protocol pharmacokinetics modelling study.

Journal Article EBioMedicine · June 13, 2025 BACKGROUND: Pharmacokinetic (PK) modelling and simulations have been used to support label changes of dosing levels or strategies for multiple marketed therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Using data from early-phase clinical trials in adults without ... Full text Link to item Cite

Safety and implementation of phase I randomized GLA-SE-adjuvanted CH505TF gp120 HIV vaccine trial in newborns.

Journal Article J Clin Invest · June 2, 2025 BACKGROUNDThe neonatal immune system is uniquely poised to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), and thus infants are ideal for evaluating HIV vaccine candidates. We present the design and safety of a new-in-infants glucopyranosyl lipid A-stabl ... Full text Link to item Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Nonhuman Primate Core-Option 6

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2032

Multiscale Modeling of Influenza Neutralizing Antibody and Fc Effector Biology

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2024 - 2029

Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) - NIAID

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2029

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


State University of New York Upstate Medical University · 1998 Ph.D.