How Dolly quietly reshaped pharma

The world is mourning the passing of Dolly Parton, and remembering her charitable contributions over the years, including funding critical early stage research that led to a vaccine for Covid 19.

Parton passed away at the age of 80 from an undisclosed cancer at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, part of a health complex that has been the recipient of much philanthropy from the country singer, most famously in the fight against the Covid pandemic. 

In March 2020 Parton donated US$1 million to support research teams working to perfect treatments and cures for COVID-19 in honour of her longtime friend Naji Abumrad, who was professor of surgery. The money helped fund a Phase 1 trial of mRNA-1273, developed by Moderna in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).