Dr. Elizabeth “Betzi” Norton is an immunologist with a strong foundation in public health and research, specializing in immune system evaluation, vaccine development, and microbial infections. She began her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and earned an MPH in International Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She later completed a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine, where she is now a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Dr. Norton’s laboratory focuses on promoting a healthy immune system, with particular emphasis on strategies to enhance immunity against acute infections and manage chronic inflammatory diseases. Her work includes leading large, collaborative projects on adjuvanted vaccines and studying immune responses in special populations. She has also been at the forefront of developing innovative formulation strategies for intranasal and oral delivery of vaccines and therapeutics. These efforts span applications for pneumonia, opioid addiction, polio, enteric diseases, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies
![Figure 1. Systemic immune responses elicited by oral dmLT-saponin combinations compared to injected vaccines (A) Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) image of the dmLT and saponin formulation demonstrating the formation of acid-stable micelle particles upon the addition of saponin to dmLT. (B) Preclinical evaluation of systemic serum IgG and IgA antibody responses following prime/boost vaccination. Antibody levels against the microbial protein antigen included in the vaccination were assessed two weeks post-final vaccination in immunized mice. Groups were stratified by vaccination route (intramuscular [IM] or sublingual [SL]) and adjuvant formulation (dmLT [D] and/or saponin [S]). Comparisons with unvaccinated controls (white bars) are shown. Statistical significance between groups is indicated (*P < 0.05), with the SL D+S group achieving the best IgG and IgA responses to vaccine antigen.](https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Figure-01-80x60.jpg)
