Ask HN: How to do meaningful work to help health research?

When I read about the ongoing research for a universal flu vaccine, which would be a game changer for the world, a vaccine that would protect not just against all the strains of flu in one season, but for many seasons, a single shot that works against the flu in general for much of your lifetime, I get very excited. When I read that this is not fiction but a realistic goal in health research, I wonder, why isn't this our focus?

Or when I read about the possibilities to protect the world against these emerging coronaviruses, events that can dramatically change humanity in an instant, I wonder what can I do, as a software developer, to help progress in those areas?

I wouldn't know where to start to make a meaningful impact in my volunteer time. I'm sure that we have skills that would be useful in many areas of research. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice about getting started in a way that could genuinely move the needle?