2020 Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Ceremony
The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) today announced that it has awarded its annual Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal to Gordon Dougan, FRS, professor in the Department of Medicine and the Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease at the University of Cambridge. Sabin also presented the inaugural Rising Star Award to Katherine E. Gallagher, MSc, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Professor Gordon Dougan, F.Med.Sci., FRS
For his leadership across the full spectrum of vaccines and vaccinology
The Sabin Vaccine Institute awarded its 2020 Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal to Professor Gordon Dougan not for one accomplishment, but for a life-long commitment to innovating the development and delivery of vaccines, translating scientific research into practical tools and encouraging the next generation of leaders in vaccinology.
Professor Dougan has been a key leader in the vaccine world for over three decades, making remarkable contributions to research and discovery through to clinical evaluation and advocacy. He has worked tirelessly to deliver affordable quality vaccines to those who most need them. Many vaccines and vaccine initiatives owe their success to his strategic vision, including the acellular pertussis vaccine and conjugate vaccines against typhoid fever and cholera.
At the Wellcome Foundation (now GSK), his team defined the protective antigen pertactin, now a key component of the acellular pertussis vaccine. As head of Pathogen Research at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Professor Dougan’s genomics research has transformed our understanding of pathogen evolution. His work on the epidemiology, antibiotic resistance and human challenge models of typhoid had significant impact on typhoid vaccine policy discussions at the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts.
He is currently a professor in the Department of Medicine at Cambridge University.
2020 – Katherine E. Gallagher, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Dr. Katherine Gallagher has demonstrated a commitment to improving human health by informing immunization policy through scientific evidence.
For her doctorate in epidemiology with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, she assessed barriers to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine delivery based on experiences from 45 low- and middle-income countries. Her findings informed the WHO global vaccine recommendations and the application process for Gavi support.
When the Ebola epidemic in West Africa peaked during Dr. Gallagher’s fieldwork in Tanzania, she volunteered to help set up a Phase I Ebola vaccine trial until the full-time trial manager was recruited. After finishing her doctorate, she coordinated Phase II trials for the same vaccine in Sierra Leone.
Her experience during her doctoral program gave Dr. Gallagher a deep interest in the sustainability of vaccine programs. Many low- and middle-income governments receive the majority of their national vaccination budget from Gavi, and as their economies grow, become ineligible for Gavi support. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is one of the most expensive vaccines on the market at $10 per fully immunized child. To address this global problem, Dr. Gallagher is now conducting a trial of fractional doses of PCV in Kenya, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.