Following the start of the pandemic we have seen various responses from local, national, and international bodies in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Some of these policies include wearing masks, social distancing, travel restrictions, and measures to work from home. However, behind the scenes there is a group of women scientists working on the frontlines at the University of Oxford to develop the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine — one of a number currently in development — to reduce the burden of this virus that has so transformed our lives. 500 Women Scientists leadership member Rosie Dutt (RD) had the opportunity to speak with a few women involved in the COVID-19 Oxford University Vaccine Trail at the Jenner Institute — Alex Spencer (AS), Rachel Tanner (RT), Rebecca Makinson (RM), Helen Sanders (HeS), Hannah Sharpe (HaS), and Amy Flaxman (AF) — to understand more about their roles.

What is your job title?

AS: Senior Immunologist.

RT: Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

RM: Research Assistant (RA).

HeS: Clinical Trials Research Technician.

HaS: 4th year PhD student in the Emerging Pathogen Lab supervised by Professor Teresa Lambe and Professor Sarah Gilbert.

AF: Postdoctoral Immunologist.

What was your contribution to the trial?

AS: I am involved in the pre-clinical studies, testing the immunogenicity (immune response) of the vaccine in a number of different animal studies. These studies were key to demonstrating vaccine safety so that the human clinical trials could begin. I also test each clinical batch of vaccine before it is used in the trials to ensure it is immunogenic, and I help run flow cytometry samples for the clinical trials team where we investigate multiple functions of T cells simultaneously.

RT: I was part of the 'T cell team', working on processing blood samples in the laboratory and conducting assays to measure T cell responses in the volunteers over time.

RM: As lead RA for the trials I spend numerous hours in the lab running the T cell assays that will form the primary and exploratory outputs of the trial. Outside of the lab I coordinate with the clinical staff to ensure a smooth path for our precious samples — from the volunteers to the lab — alongside training new staff and quality controlling our data sets.

HeS: My main role was processing blood samples from volunteers in the trial to isolate the white blood cell layer from the blood, as well as assisting with immunological techniques such as ELISpot. I also order many of the reagents for the COVID trials in the UK, and more recently our trial in Brazil.

HaS: I have been involved at several stages of the trial. I began working on preclinical experiments, where we investigated ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine immunology before it went into human clinical trials. I have also been involved in processing clinical trial samples and conducting further experiments to measure how the human immune system responds to the vaccine.

AF: I look at antibody responses to the vaccine in clinical trial volunteers. We are interested in the level of antibody response to our vaccine antigen, for ChAdOx1-nCov that is the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We want to investigate the antibody response after one dose of vaccine and after 2 doses and see how these compare. We also want to follow the antibody response over several months to determine whether our vaccine can elicit a long-lasting immune response.

Why did you become a scientist?

AS: I’ve always needed to understand how things worked and the human body itself. I was particularly interested in the immune system, since it is one of the most fascinating machines ever made! I probably should have studied engineering, but at the time that wasn’t seen as a major career option for girls, especially when you attend a majority male secondary school. In my penultimate year of school, a careers advisor arranged a visit to a research institute and the scientist isolated DNA in front of our eyes. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I then set about a career in medical research, never fully understanding what that would involve or thinking that I would stay in academia – I was just curious and kept following the questions. I still do!

Rachel Tanner in the laboratory. Photo by John Cairns.

RT: Alongside my curiosity about why things are the way they are, I wanted to help in making the world a better place. Science, especially medical science, is so much more fulfilling than just a 'job'. Even though most of us only make tiny contributions, it all adds up to overall progress To play a small part in ridding the world of these awful diseases and reducing suffering is the best motivation.

RM: I always enjoyed feeling like I knew the answer to a problem, and you get to have lots of moments like that when you work in research — although I have recently realized these are pretty evenly balanced with feelings of complete confusion! I’ve been fortunate enough to have some excellent teachers and plenty of inspiring women role models in science who helped me realize this was an entirely accessible goal for me.

HeS: I have always loved science and was constantly curious about the world around me. I am infinitely fascinated by the endless possibilities and opportunities Science affords to make a difference in the world.

HaS: I have always been interested in the natural world, and the intricate and complicated systems that connect it all together. During my undergraduate degree in Biology, I developed a fascination for infectious disease and how our immune system protects us from pathogens, so I embarked on a Masters in Immunology where I was able to work at the Jenner Institute for a few months on ebolavirus vaccine development. This experience confirmed that I enjoyed lab work and wanted to have a career in research where I could form my own scientific ideas, so a PhD was the next natural step. I hope to continue my career in academia as a scientist after I finish.

AF: I have always been interested in the natural world and in particular how living things work. For me, the interaction between organisms, such as that between a host and a pathogen is fascinating. Science is all about asking questions, working out how to answer them, getting some answers and then working out what new knowledge has been gained. I really enjoy that process especially when the scientific problem to solve is something that can benefit others, such as vaccine development.

How does it feel to be at the forefront of science?

AS: Daunting and a huge responsibility to make sure we get it right.

RT: To be part of such an impressive female-led response and to work with hundreds of talented, dedicated people has been a bonus.

RM: In two words: exciting and exhausting.

HeS: The day-to-day tasks in my job haven’t changed much as I was working on vaccine trials for Malaria, Rabies, and MERS before COVID. However, there are now much tighter deadlines and many more blood samples coming into the lab than before so it can get quite busy!

HaS: It’s very surreal seeing my supervisors and our research on the television and the news. I feel immensely privileged to work on this trial, which could help many people worldwide.

AF: It often feels like hard work but ultimately rewarding, knowing that the work we do will make a difference to a great number of people.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

AS: As scientists we are seen as a source of information for friends and family during this pandemic – even when it’s not our area of expertise. We therefore have a social responsibility to ensure the information we provide is from a reputable source. Misinformation or the spread of false news is something we all need to tackle on social media, even if it makes us uncomfortable.

RT: We still had to continue our duties as scientists alongside this trial. Between evening shifts on the COVID trial, I set up a small in vitro lab project, taught a full term for undergraduates (which was adapted for online delivery), and caught up on writing several manuscripts and a book chapter on my 'normal' research focus, which is tuberculosis. Tuberculosis still kills more people every single year than COVID has so far, so we can't drop the ball.

RM: It is important to acknowledge the level of collaboration it takes to work at the scale and speed that we have seen science progressing at during this pandemic. In our group alone we have over 100 staff working on the trials — from doctors and nurses to lab technicians and professors. It’s truly a team effort and it would not have been possible without a huge network of talented individuals. Collaboration is key!

HaS: I want to highlight that this trial is being run by a large proportion of scientists who are women. It is an incredibly supportive environment to be working in, and I hope it inspires young women everywhere to become the next generation of immunologists, vaccinologists – scientists!

AF: My day-to-day job involves much more than performing experiments in the lab. Planning, data analysis, logistics (storing 1000s of samples etc), organizing both laboratory consumables and managing people are all in a day's work!