Dr Hyer's started with earning the PhD from Oxford in the molecular genetics of type 1 diabetes, demonstrating proof that insulin is the antigen that the immune system recognizes. This publication led to candidate preventive vaccines for type 1 diabetes. As a graduate student at Oxford, he translated entrepreneurial interest into founding a biotechnology company, Alpha-Plus, DNA. After a period in public health including serving as a medical officer at the World Health Organization responding to epidemics like SARS, avian influenza, and Ebola, Dr. Hyer joined industry to learn drug development. He helped launch and expand the use of the human papillomavirus vaccine into new indications for head and neck cancers and bring the vaccine to Japan. Later, Dr. Hyer was key to the FDA approval of HEPLISAV-B, a 2-dose hepatitis B vaccine using a novel immunostimulatory adjuvant. With the COVID-19 pandemic, he joined one of the leading mRNA vaccine companies and contributed to the approval and launch of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. Recently, Dr. Hyer joined the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute as President and became the Chief Executive Officer for MERLIN Biotech, a start-up biotechnology company using the mRNA platform to deliver anti-cancer proteins.