Alana Gerhardt leads the Product Development and Characterization group at AAHI, developing thermostable vaccines for infectious diseases with a particular focus on lyophilized and spray dried formulations. In this role, Alana oversees the characterization of vaccine antigens and develops vaccine formulations to ensure that the vaccine product will remain stable from the time it’s manufactured until it’s administered to a patient. Working closely with AAHI’s Adjuvant Formulations, RNA Vaccines, and Manufacturing teams, Alana’s ultimate goal is to increase vaccine access and equity across the globe.

Alana received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. A summer internship with a biotech company led her into the field, and she went on to graduate studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she earned her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering in the lab of Professor Ted Randolph. Alana’s graduate work investigated the effects of different stresses on the stability of therapeutic protein formulations and proposed ways to mitigate the negative effects of these stresses. After a two-year stint in Denmark working at a medical device company, Alana returned to the US and to formulation development when she joined IDRI in 2017.