Kerry Empey

Dr. Kerry Empey is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy and Therapeutics and holds secondary appointments in the Department of Immunology, Center for Vaccine Research, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute in the School of Medicine. She is also the Director of the Certificate in Clinical Translational Science for Graduate Students in the Health Sciences. Dr. Empey conducts industry and NIH-funded clinical and translational research aimed at understanding the immune response to pulmonary viruses and the mechanisms of vaccine mediated protection (or pathology) in pregnant women and infants. Dr. Empey also works closely with vaccine formulation experts to design and test the delivery, biodistribution, kinetics, and immune responses of new vaccine candidates with the goal of optimizing their safety and efficacy in vulnerable patient populations. Dr. Empey received her PharmD from the University of Rhode Island and completed PGY1 and PGY2 residencies in Pharmacy Practice and Infectious Diseases at the University of Kentucky. She earned a PhD in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky before accepting a faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh.