Peter Hubbard said he hopes the small risk he is taking could help create a vaccine to prevent further outbreaks of the disease, which has claimed thousands of lives in west Africa.
Speaking from his apartment in Alexandria, Virginia, Mr Hubbard, a consultant who specialises in natural gas and peer markets, said:
"I get a lot of satisfaction out of the fact that this could potentially develop into a viable vaccine that prevents another outbreak. It might not help out with the current outbreak but it could prevent a future one, so that's a real plus in my book."
Mr Hubbard, 35, is one of 20 people taking part in clinical trials for a vaccine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States.