Wayne State Chemistry Alumnus Jason McLellan inducted Into National Inventors Hall of Fame

Chemistry Alumnus Jason McLellan '03 has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work using structure-based vaccine design to stabilize and modify surface proteins of viruses. A structural biologist, McLellan and immunologist and virologist Barney Graham have led discoveries that contributed to the development of the COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines.

After earning his bachelor’s in chemistry from Wayne State University and later doctorate at Johns Hopkins University, McLellan pursued vaccine research at the National Institutes of Health, collaborating with Graham to study RSV proteins.

Their breakthrough stabilizing mutations strengthened immune responses and laid the groundwork for designing vaccines against emerging viruses. As the Robert A. Welch chair in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, McLellan continues advancing vaccines for infectious diseases.

McLellan’s contributions have earned him prestigious accolades, including the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology and the International Vaccine Institute-SK Bioscience Park MahnHoon Award. Reflecting on his achievements, McLellan said he is proud to have contributed to two life-saving vaccines, with potential for more on the horizon.