On May 10, 2018, the stars of the infectious disease community joined the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) at the historic Willard InterContinental in Washington, DC for the 2018 annual Awards Dinner, also known as the ‘Oscars of Infectious Diseases.’ Along with celebrating 45 years of success in providing education to both the public and healthcare professionals, NFID honored three public health heroes who have made significant and lasting contributions: Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD; Kathryn M. Edwards, MD; and Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS).
The ‘Oscars’ began with a presentation of the 2018 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award to Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD in recognition of his lasting contributions to improving children’s health worldwide, including novel scientific research for the prevention of gastroenteritis from rotaviruses and noroviruses. Since the 1970s, when rotavirus was discovered, Dr. Glass has been at the forefront of global efforts to reduce the immense public health burden of rotavirus. View acceptance speech by Dr. Glass.
Kathryn M. Edwards, MD received the 2018 Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement in recognition of her work as one of the world’s authorities
on vaccinology, pediatric respiratory infections, and pneumococcal disease. During her 40-year career, Dr. Edwards has conducted pivotal studies on influenza,
pneumococcal, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib), combination vaccines, and vaccine safety that have Dransformed the field and driven policy change. View acceptance speech by Dr. Edwards.
The celebration concluded with a presentation of the 2018 John P. Utz Leadership Award by former NFID awardee Anthony Fauci, MD to Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS) in recognition of her outstanding leadership throughout her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During her 30-year tenure, Dr. Schuchat has been involved in a number of CDC emergency response efforts and most notably, she served as CDC Chief Health Officer during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza response, led the CDC team responding to the SARS outbreak in Beijing in 2003, and supported the Washington, DC field team during the 2001 bioterrorist anthrax response. View acceptance speech/song by Dr. Schuchat.
Congratulations to Drs. Glass, Edwards, and Schuchat on receiving these prestigious and well-deserved awards. The inspiring acceptance speeches (and song!) clearly demonstrate their roles as important leaders in the fight against infectious diseases. View highlights from the evening.
Thank you to all who made the evening such a success. Proceeds from the event directly benefit NFID, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the causes, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases across the lifespan.
For the past 45 years, NFID has played an important role in public and professional education in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. I commend the organization for its work to help minimize the impact of infectious diseases and public health.
Former President Jimmy Carter
NFID is currently seeking nominations for the 2019 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award and Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement until June 30, 2018. All nominations must be submitted online at: 2019 Awards Nominations. The awards will be presented at a black-tie gala in the spring of 2019 in the Washington, DC area.
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