Lakshmi Mittal gifts GBP 3.5 mn to Oxford for developing Covid-19 vaccine

Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, and his family have gifted GBP 3.5 million to sponsor a critical professorship in vaccinology at the Oxford University which will facilitate vital research on outbreak pathogens including Covid-19.
 

The post, which is currently held by Professor Adrian Hill, will be known as the Lakshmi Mittal and Family Professorship of Vaccinology in recognition of the support. The contribution will allow Professor Hill to continue with his vital research on outbreak pathogens.
 

In 2014, Professor Hill led the first clinical trials of a vaccine aimed at controlling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, kickstarting an initiative at the Jenner Institute, now the largest academic vaccine centre in the world, to develop vaccines for outbreak pathogens.
 

Recently, the programme facilitated a major effort to rapidly develop a Covid-19 vaccine, with Professor Hill acting as principal investigator for the Oxford trial. The vaccine is currently undergoing human trials in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, an Oxford announcement read.
 

Commenting on the family’s decision to endow the professorship, Lakshmi Mittal said, "This year has been a wake-up call to the world to be better prepared for pandemics, which, as we have all experienced, can cause massive social and economic disruption."
 

"Having always had a keen interest in healthcare, like many I was following with great interest the work on potential vaccines and treatments for Covid-19. After a fascinating conversation with Professor Hill, my family and I concluded that the work he and his team are doing is not only extraordinary but essential, not just for this current crisis but for other challenges we may face in the future. The importance of dedicated and ongoing research in this field cannot be overestimated and we are delighted to be supporting this vaccinology professorship at Oxford," Mittal said.
 

ArcelorMittal was also a founding member of the Ebola Private Sector Mobilisation Group, which coordinated the private sector response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014.