Christian W. Mandl is the head of US Research for Novartis Vaccines, and is global head for all viral vaccine research projects. Christian is a world renowned expert in flaviviruses, and is a co-inventor on several patents related to a marketed vaccine for tick borne encephalitis. He currently oversees a team of 90 researchers with plans to expand the center rapidly over the next 5 years.

Prior to joining Novartis, Christian was the Assistant Head of the Clinical Institute of Virology at Medical University of Vienna, where he still holds a professorship in Virology. His prior works involves the investigation of molecular mechanisms or the interactions of viruses with their host organisms targeting novel medical applications, enabling new antiviral strategies and applications in vaccine development or viral gene vectors.

.Christian holds a MD and PhD from University of Vienna, and a Master of Science (Biochemistry) from Pennsylvania State University. He earned his postdoctoral lecture qualification in Molecular Virology and was certified as a Medical Specialist in Virology by the Austrian Medical Association. He lives in Lexington, MA, with his wife and five children.