There’s a real-life Prof Snape running Covid vaccine trial— and Harry Potter fans are excited Breanna Robinson It’s safe to assume that having the same name as a famous fictional character could have its charms. However, if you have a similar career to said famous fictional characters, it could probably get annoying. That might be the case for Professor Matthew Snape, a vaccine researcher from the Oxford Vaccine Group who has the same last name and title as one of Harry Potter’s antagonists. Currently, Professor Snape (the real-life one) is conducting a crucial Covid-19 vaccine trial in the United Kingdom.