Vilasack Thammavongsa is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Research at Immunartes, LLC, a biotechnology startup based in Chicago, IL innovating vaccines and therapeutics against Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that colonizes one-third of the world's population. He completed his Ph.D. in Immunology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago with Dr. Olaf Schneewind. His training focused on unraveling how Staphylococcus aureus evades the immune system, contributing to the field of bacterial pathogenesis and spurred further studies on vital human-specific pathogens. In his role as CEO of IMMUNARTES, Dr. Thammavongsa leads the company's efforts in developing groundbreaking vaccines and antibody therapies aimed at combating Staphylococcus aureus among other significant health threats.