Volume 24, No. 1 - March 1999                     Published by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) awarded US Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health David Satcher, MD, PhD, and renowned infectious disease researcher Stanley Falkow, PhD, its prestigious awards at the NFID Awards Dinner on March 4, 1999.

The black-tie event, held at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington, VA, honors individuals whose outstanding efforts and achievements have contributed significantly to improving health worldwide.

Dr. Falkow received the Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement, which is awarded to a scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of infectious diseases or public health. Dr. Satcher was honored with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind, which is awarded to individuals whose outstanding humanitarian efforts and achievements have contributed significantly to improving the world's health.

The Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement is named for the late Maxwell Finland, MD, a distinguished scholar, scientist, and teacher. Dr. Finland, a former member of the NFID Board of Directors, did pioneering work in the diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of bacterial infections; the evaluation of antimicrobials; and the demonstration of the evolving problem of antimicrobial resistance. He was a driving force in shaping infectious diseases training programs in the United States and in defining the discipline of infectious diseases as we know it today.

Much like Dr. Finland, Dr. Falkow has not only made remarkable contributions to infectious disease research, but he has also shared his passion for science with a generation of scientists.

Always self-effacing in spite of his great accomplishments, Dr. Falkow said, "I receive this award tonight on the basis of work done by almost 200 co-workers, undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctorals, sabbatical visitors, infectious diseases fellows, and many scientific colleagues."

NFID President Herbert L. DuPont, MD presented Dr. Falkow with the award for his "pioneering achievements" in infectious disease research and for his ability and desire to share this knowledge with a generation of aspiring scientists."

"It is the combination of these scientific advances coupled with your desire to mentor future infectious disease researchers that makes you a worthy recipient of this award," said Dr. DuPont.

Dr. Falkow began his love affair with science at an early age. When he was 11 years old, a chance reading of The Microbe Hunters piqued his fascination with microbes and the adventure known as scientific research. "That's what got me started," he said. In 1955, Dr. Falkow graduated with a degree in bacteriology from the University of Maine where he was "showered with intellectual affection" by his professors.

For his passionate introduction into the world of science, Dr. Falkow credits his mentors. "You are actually honoring them tonight rather than me. I owe these people for outfitting me with the fundamental tools to begin an independent career as a scientist."

Because of the way in which he was introduced to science, Dr. Falkow wanted to teach as he was taught. When he received his own lab and research program at Georgetown University, he tried to mimic those people who were important to his education. "I learned something that they knew all along: 'It is the teacher that learns a lot more from the student than the student ever learns from the teacher.'"

Former students such as David Relman, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University, are quick to add that he is modest. "He has trained a whole generation of microbiologists, and his influence has extended well beyond the Stanford campus. The list...reads like a Who's Who of the world of microbial pathogenesis," said Dr. Relman.

With mottos such as "scientific research is not work; it's fun," it is clear to see how Dr. Falkow was able to accomplish so many remarkable achievements. Known by many as the father of microbial pathogenesis the study of how infectious microbes interact with host cells to cause disease Dr. Falkow has made great strides in illuminating how bacteria cause disease. With this knowledge, scientists are beginning to understand how to prevent diseases, how to prevent drug resistance, how to develop better antibiotics and vaccines, and perhaps, how to cure disease.

Some of Dr. Falkow's specific research achievements include ongoing contributions to the genetic basis of antibiotic resistance, fundamental discoveries on the role plasmids play in transferring antibiotic resistance among different species, the discovery of transposons (DNA segments that can move around within bacteria) which are central to the transfer of bacterial resistance among species, the discovery of a simple method to separate plasmid from chromosomal DNA, and knowledge about the ways bacteria change within a host to protect themselves.

"The profound impact Stan has made on the infectious disease community has been widely and appropriately recognized by the many awards that he has received and by his election to membership in our country's most respected scientific and medical institutes," said Jon S. Saxe, president of Protein Design Labs, Inc.

Dr. Falkow has been elected to the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. He is also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In 1960, Dr. Falkow graduated with an master's degree in biology and received his doctorate in 1961 from Brown University. From there he went to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, DC, and then to Georgetown University Medical School where he was professor of microbiology. In 1972, he moved to the University of Washington and in 1981, to Stanford University School of Medicine.

"It's a rare scientist who successfully builds bridges across disciplines, who applies discoveries in one field to advance another," said Mr. Saxe. "Stan Falkow is one of those individuals, whose career has hastened developments in microbiology, infectious diseases, molecular biology, molecular genetics, cell biology, and diagnostic and clinical medicine."

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind is named for President and Mrs. Carter, who as outstanding humanitarians have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for people worldwide. They are co-founders of The Carter Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta and dedicated to improving the quality of life. Through their work at The Carter Center, President and Mrs. Carter have worked to resolve conflict peacefully, promote democracy, protect human rights, and prevent and eradicate disease.

"I was here two years ago when President and Mrs. Carter received the first Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award," said Dr. Satcher. "It was a very meaningful evening for me...I had no idea that I would be receiving this award two years later."

The Honorable Paul G. Rogers, the 1996 Maxwell Finland awardee and chairman of the NFID Board of Trustees presented the award to Dr. Satcher on behalf of NFID "for your career-long commitment to improving the nation's and for your skill at developing key partnerships to make the world a healthier place to live."

Dr. Satcher's entire career has been devoted to medicine and public health. "Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a total commitment to addressing problems of the underserved at the local, national, and global levels and to developing and strengthening partnerships among academia, government agencies, communities, and international organizations to strengthen disease prevention and health promotion programs," said James M. Hughes, MD, director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As assistant secretary for health, Dr. Satcher serves as the Department of Health and Human Services secretary's senior advisor on public health issues and provides leadership on issues that involve the US Public Health Service. In his dual role as surgeon general, he is charged with protecting the nation's health.

Dr. Satcher has given priority to several areas such as giving every child a healthy start in life, promoting healthy lifestyles, improving the nation's mental health system, strengthening support for an effective community health system, eliminating disparities in health among different racial and ethnic groups, and increasing attention to global health issues.

Many of these issues are close to Dr. Satcher's heart. His oldest daughter, Gretchen, wrote in an article in San Jose's City Flight magazine that he "learned very early in life the importance of making the best health care available for all people."

As a small boy growing up on a farm in rural Alabama, Dr. Satcher's own health care was limited. When he was two years old, he developed a serious case of pertussis or whooping cough which led to pneumonia. His father contacted Dr. Jackson the only black physician in the area to come and see him. He worked with him all day, but did not expect him to live. "Because of what he did and because of my mother's follow through and her undying faith and hope, I survived that episode," Dr. Satcher recalled. "By the time I was six years old, I was telling everyone that I was going to be a doctor like Dr. Jackson."

Many would argue that Dr. Satcher has done just that. Prior to his current positions as surgeon general and assistant secretary for health, Dr. Satcher served as director of the CDC. "His leadership has had a profound impact on CDC's mission and programs," said Dr. Hughes. "Dr. Satcher is an exceptionally visionary leader and an extremely effective advocate for science-based public health policy and its applications." Throughout his tenure, he stressed the need to address gaps in prevention programs; he understood the importance of developing and strengthening existing partnerships with many stakeholders; he valued the importance of peer-reviewed prevention research; and he understood the need to address public health priorities on the national and global levels, Dr. Hughes added.

Dr. Satcher graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1963, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then went on to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland to study medicine. Graduating in 1970 with both a medical and doctoral degree, he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.

In 1972, Dr. Satcher went to Los Angeles where he practiced family medicine, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital in Watts. He created a free clinic in his church's basement, making health care accessible to members of that underserved community. He developed and chaired the King-Drew University Department of Family Medicine; directed the King-Drew Sickle Cell Disease Center for six years; and from 1977 to 1979, served as the interim dean of the Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School. While at this post, he negotiated the agreement with the School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles that led to a medical education program at King-Drew.

In 1979, Dr. Satcher returned to Atlanta to become chair of the Department of Community Medicine and Family Practice at Morehouse School of Medicine. In 1982, he became president of Meharry Medical College School of Medicine in Nashville, TN, a post he held until his appointment as director of the CDC and administrator of the Administration for Toxic Substances Disease Registry in 1993.

He successfully spearheaded initiatives that markedly increased childhood immunization rates from 55 percent in 1992 to 78 percent in 1996. He also upgraded the nation's capability for responding to emerging infectious diseases and laid the groundwork for a new early warning system to detect and prevent food-borne illnesses. Under Dr. Satcher's direction, the CDC's comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening program increased from 18 to all 50 states, five territories, and 15 American Indian reservations, and the agency highlighted the importance of physical activity with the landmark Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health.

"I'm very grateful for this award, and I look forward to working with all of you as we go into the future to take on more and more of these challenges," Dr. Satcher said.

Past recipients of the Maxwell Finland Award are Maurice R. Hilleman, PhD, renowned vaccine researcher;Joshua Lederberg, PhD, Nobel Prize winner and genetics research pioneer; the Honorable Paul G. Rogers, former congressman from Florida; the Honorable Dale Bumpers, senator from Arkansas, and Mrs. Betty F. Bumpers, co-founder, "Every Child by Two"; Elizabeth Hanford Dole, president, American Red Cross; Arthur Ashe, Jr., champion tennis player and humanitarian; Michael E. DeBakey, MD, chancellor, Baylor College of Medicine and renowned surgeon; Mrs. Albert Lasker, president, Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation; P. Roy Vagelos, MD, former chief executive officer, Merck & Co., Inc.; Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director, NIAID, NIH; and C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD, former US surgeon general.

Past recipients of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Humanitarian Contributions to the Health of Humankind are Gen. Colin L. Powell, chair of America's Promise, and President and Mrs. Carter, who received the first Carter award in 1997.

The honorary co-chairs for the occasion were the President and Mrs. Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Carter, and former President Gerald R. Ford and Mrs. Ford. The Hon. Paul G. Rogers served as the master of ceremonies and co-chair of the gala, along with Susan J. Rehm, NFID vice president. The dinner was preceded by a reception sponsored by Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines.

The US Armed Forces Color Guard opened the evening with the presentation of the colors. This was followed by a quartet of the George Washington University Troubadours who sang their rendition of "The National Anthem." After dinner, members of the George Washington University Troubadours performed additional selections.

Among the many distinguished guests in attendance were James M. Hughes, MD, director, National Center for Infectious Diseases at the CDC; Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director, NIAID at the NIH and the 1989 Maxwell Finland Award honoree; and Lt. General Ronald R. Blanck, surgeon general of the Army and commander of the US Army Medical Command.

• Photos taken at the Dinner