Kyungmin Kim is a first-year MPhil student at the AIDS Institute, Department of Microbiology at University of Hong Kong, where she also earned First Class Honours in Biomedical Sciences. Building on her undergraduate research, her MPhil project uses a Modified Vaccinia Tian Tan (MVTT) viral vector to establish robust mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox. Attending this summer course will deepen her understanding of translational immunology and emerging techniques - such as mRNA-based T-cell engineering - furthering her expertise in vaccine development.