Since 2007, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has awarded the Maurice R. Hilleman Early-Stage Career Investigator Award to a “promising scientist in the early stages of their careers in any field of vaccinology, from basic research, through pre-clinical and clinical studies, manufacturing, and production, to related research in public health, agriculture, health delivery, policy, and regulatory matters.” The award provides $10,000 to support research activities at the awardee’s institution as well as a travel stipend and complimentary registration to attend the following year’s Annual Conference on Vaccine Research.
The 2012 Maurice R. Hilleman Early-Stage Career Investigator Award was presented to Olga Lihoradova, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, TX. Winning the award was significant to her as it, “was recognition of all the hard work I have done for several years as a postdoctoral fellow at UTMB. Before I started working here, I had very little experience working with human viruses because my previous research focused mostly on insect viruses. I spent a lot of time gaining additional knowledge to successfully work in the field of human virology. This award is also great recognition of the help and support I received from my mentor, Dr. Tetsuro Ikegami.”
Dr. Lihoradova has used the $10,000 award funds to support her continued research of Rift Valley fever virus. She will also be sharing her research as a poster presentation at the 16th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research on April 22-24, 2013 in Baltimore, MD .
The Hilleman Award can mean a lot to a scientist in the early stages of their career. Dr. Lihoradova wishes this year’s Hilleman nominees the best of luck–not only with winning the award, but also in their continued generation of ideas and advancement in their career!
Learn more about vaccine research at the 16th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research.
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