Karen Martins

Dr. Karen Martins is the Branch Chief for Antivirals and Antitoxins (AVAT) at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The AVAT program supports the advanced development, licensure, and procurement of therapeutics and antitoxins against biodefense threats such as filoviruses, smallpox, anthrax toxins, and botulinum neurotoxin. In addition, the team works across BARDA to lead new initiatives focused on therapeutic platforms (Flexible and Strategic Therapeutics, FASTx), repurposing products for filoviruses (ReBoot), and host-directed countermeasures. Dr. Martins is a viral immunologist with experience in clinical and preclinical vaccine and therapeutics testing; immunological and virological assay development; analysis of vaccine-induced and antiviral immunity; and international clinical research. She completed her doctorate at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where her dissertation focused on HIV immunology. She then worked for the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) on a variety of preclinical and clinically studies focused on filoviruses and arboviruses like Zika and chikungunya before joining to BARDA in 2020.