Dennis Burton, PhD        

Dennis is a globally recognized immunologist whose pioneering work has shaped modern vaccine science and antibody research. He is Chair and Professor in the Department of Immunology & Microbiology at Scripps Research, where he also holds the James & Jessie Minor Chair in Immunology, and serves as Scientific Director of the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center. He additionally leads the Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD) at Scripps Research and is a member of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard.

Over the course of his career, Dennis has helped define the field of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and their application to vaccine design, particularly for highly mutable viruses such as HIV. His research has elucidated fundamental mechanisms of antibody–virus interplay, revealing pathways by which bnAbs emerge, mature, and can be rationally elicited through next-generation immunogens. His work has become central to global HIV vaccine efforts and has informed strategies across infectious disease and pandemic preparedness.

Dennis has authored more than 500 scientific papers and has been awarded extensive NIH funding throughout his career. His honors include the Jenner Fellowship of the Lister Institute and election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. In 2023, Research.com ranked him among the top immunologists in the United States and worldwide, and ScholarGPS named him the #1 global contributor to antibody research.

Prior to joining Scripps Research, Dennis trained in chemistry and biochemistry, earning his B.A. from Oxford University and his Ph.D. from Lund University, Sweden, followed by postdoctoral research that set the foundation for his lifelong work in structural immunology. Today, his laboratory continues to pioneer strategies for eliciting protective immunity against rapidly evolving pathogens, advancing a vision in which rational vaccine design can overcome the world’s most challenging infectious diseases.