Joe Schmitt, MD, PhD, is board certified in pediatrics, infectious diseases, microbiology, virology, and epidemiology. From 1995 to 2000 he was Professor of Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development in Kiel, and from 2000 to 2007 in Mainz, Germany, where his research focused on vaccine development and respiratory tract infections; during this time, his clinical microbiology laboratory served as the National Conciliar Laboratory for Haemophilus influenzae.

He was a member (1995–2007) and three term chair (1998–2007) of the German NITAG (STIKO), and advised both the national regulatory authority (Paul Ehrlich Institut, PEI) and WHO committees (SAGE, GACVS). In recognition of his contributions to public health and vaccination, he received the Helmut Stickl Prize from the German Academy of Pediatrics (2007).

In 2007 he moved to industry, most recently serving as Vice President and Global Lead Viral Vaccines at Pfizer until May 2021. He currently contributes to vaccinology as Scientific Advisor to VACCELERATE (University of Cologne), Editor in Chief at Global Health Press (Singapore), and, since February 2024, as Director of Pandemic Vaccine Preparedness (PrepVax) at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in Singapore.