McMaster University researcher Matthew Miller is among a select group of Canadian scientists that have been recognized with a prestigious CIHR-CEPI Leadership Award for Excellence in Vaccine Research.
McMaster researcher Matthew Miller has received a prestigious award for excellence in vaccine science.
The award, which supports four mid-career Canadian researchers whose work has the potential to advance vaccine science and strengthen pandemic preparedness, is bestowed jointly by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
Recipients receive $600,000 in research funding over a three-year period to help advance innovative vaccine research and build Canada's capacity to respond to emerging infectious disease threats.
Miller, a professor in McMaster's Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and the director if the university's Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, will use the new funding to support the development of next-generation inhaled vaccines that prevent respiratory infections caused by viruses with epidemic and pandemic potential.
"This award will allow our team to build on the success of the inhaled vaccine platform that we developed with colleagues at McMaster during the COVID-19 pandemic," says Miller, who is also the executive director of NexusHealth at McMaster and co-director of the federally funded Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub. "We can now leverage this work to develop new tools that will offer protection against other viruses with pandemic potential, including highly pathogenic avian influenza virus."
Miller is an internationally recognized expert in viral immunology and vaccinology, and his lab specializes in understanding how the immune system mediates broad protection against large families of pathogens. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Viral Pandemics and has played a prominent role in shaping Canada's response to emerging infectious disease threats through his advisory work with national and provincial immunization committees and public health groups. His expertise and experience have also made him a trusted voice in the media, where he regularly provides insight into emerging infectious disease threats and other public health issues.
His research and leadership have earned him numerous awards and honours, including the Grandvaux-McCormick Award for Service to Canadian Virology, a CIHR New Investigator Award, the Bhagirath Singh Early Career Award in Infection and Immunity, and an Early Researcher Award from the Government of Ontario. In 2024, he was elected to the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists, and in 2025 was named a University Scholar by McMaster.
Miller's work also extends well beyond the laboratory, as he is co-founder and chief scientific officer of AeroImmune Inc., a university spin-out company focused on advancing inhaled vaccine technologies toward clinical applications. The company's COVID-19 vaccine, which is administered via a personal inhalation device (pictured), is currently progressing through Phase 2 human trials.
"This award provides our team with a timely opportunity to expand on this exciting next-generation vaccine platform," Miller says. "Working with CEPI will amplify opportunities for integration and collaboration amongst the coalition's global network, and will help advance Canada's reputation as a leader in vaccine science."
