James T. Wassil is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Vaxcyte, Inc. An award-winning scientist, Wassil has played a role in the creation of numerous vaccines, including leading the development of two vaccines to prevent meningitis, and was an integral contributor for others to prevent pneumonia, cervical cancer, gastroenteritis, and hepatitis A.
He has dedicated over three decades to developing and commercializing vaccines intended to prevent infectious diseases and has held leadership positions in the vaccine divisions of Pfizer, Novartis and Merck.
As the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Vaxcyte, Inc., Wassil currently leads the research and development for vaccines, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, group A streptococcus, and shigella, designed to address the growing antimicrobial resistance pandemic. He also serves as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Lehigh’s College of Health. After earning his bachelor of science degree in chemistry/biology from the University of Notre Dame, Wassil earned two master’s degrees from Lehigh University: a master of science in bio-organic chemistry and a master of business administration.
He has received a number of accolades, including the ‘distinguished scientist’ title in 2014 during his time at Novartis when he earned the award as the company’s top scientist for the development, and approval, of Bexsero, a vaccine to prevent meningitis and sepsis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. He was also a finalist for the U.S. Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE Finalist) for his role in addressing dehydration due to diarrheal diseases in Nicaragua.