Emmanuel Benjamin Walter Jr.

Dr. Emmanuel Walter, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics, serves as the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) Chief Medical Officer and directs the Duke Vaccine and Trials Unit. In these roles, Dr. Walter provides strategic and operational leadership for clinical research conducted at the Institute.  In addition, he provides oversight of regulatory compliance for DHVI clinical research activities.

Dr. Walter has dedicated his career to advancing research and clinical practice in vaccinology, infectious diseases, and child health. He currently serves as the principal investigator for the Duke Clinical Core of the Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovations Centers (CIVICs) funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).  The goal of this work is to evaluate promising next generation influenza vaccine candidates in Phase I and Phase I/II clinical trials and human challenge studies.  He is also the Duke Principal Investigator for the CDC-funded Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project which conducts studies to identify risk factors and preventive strategies for adverse events following immunization, particularly in special populations. Lastly, he is the Principal Investigator for the  CDC-funded coordinating center of the influenza and other respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness network.  This work provides national estimates for influenza and other respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness in persons presenting with respiratory illness in the ambulatory setting.

Dr. Walter's focused area of interest include vaccine development, vaccine safety, vaccine effectiveness, vaccine coverage, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.