Sallie Permar

Dr. Sallie Permar is an internationally recognized physician-scientist whose work has transformed the prevention and treatment of viral infections affecting mothers and infants. Her research has advanced maternal and neonatal vaccine development for HIV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Zika virus, as well as strategies to prevent and treat pediatric HIV. She leads a research program focused on immune protection in early life and interventions that improve child health worldwide.

Dr. Permar’s pioneering contributions include developing vaccine approaches to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, identifying immune responses associated with infant HIV protection, and creating maternal-infant nonhuman primate models that have informed clinical trials. She also developed the first nonhuman primate model of congenital CMV infection and established maternal-fetal models that advanced understanding of Zika infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led studies evaluating vaccine responses in pregnant and lactating individuals and advocated for their inclusion in clinical research.

Dr. Permar earned her M.D. from Harvard Medical School and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. A recipient of numerous national honors, she serves in leadership roles spanning scientific research, physician workforce development, Medicaid reform, and child advocacy. Through her research, leadership, and policy engagement, she advances child health and strengthens systems that support children, families, and the future healthcare workforce.

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