NFID Honors Infectious Disease Heroes

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) will honor Robert E. Black, MD, MPH; Diane E. Griffin, MD, PhD; and Larry K. Pickering, MD for their significant and lasting contributions to global public health at the 2016 NFID Awards Dinner on May 5, 2016 in Bethesda, Md.

In recognition of his lifetime contributions as a global public health leader and his work to improve the health of children in the developing world, NFID has selected Robert E. Black, MD, MPH to receive the 2016 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award. The award is named for Former President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the first recipients of the award, and recognizes individuals who have made outstanding humanitarian contributions to improving global public health.

The 2016 Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement will be presented to Diane E. Griffin, MD, PhD, in recognition of her career as a distinguished virologist, renowned for her studies of measles and alphaviruses, as well as her leadership and dedication to mentoring the next generation of infectious disease investigators. Named for Maxwell Finland, MD, a distinguished scholar and scientist who pioneered work in epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance and helped define the discipline of infectious diseases as we know it today, the award recognizes scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the understanding of infectious diseases and public health.

Larry K. Pickering, MD, will receive the 2016 John P. Utz Leadership Award in honor of his years of dedicated service to NFID and his outstanding leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The award was established in 2007 as a lasting memorial to the late John P. Utz, MD, a founder of NFID and a champion in the fight against infectious diseases. To honor his memory and years of dedication to the profession, and to NFID, the award is presented to individuals who exemplify and support NFID leadership goals, through service to NFID and/or the field of infectious diseases.

The awards will be presented at the 2016 NFID Annual Awards Dinner on May 5, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda. For additional information, visit www.nfid.org/awards.

Nominations for the 2017 Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award are now being accepted until June 30, 2016. All nominations must be submitted online at www.nfid.org/2017awards-nominations. Awards will be presented at a black-tie gala in the Spring of 2017 in the Washington, D.C. area.

Source: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases