2025 Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Ceremony

2025 Gold Medal Recipient

Katherine O’Brien, MD, MPH, is a pioneering global health leader whose groundbreaking work in vaccine access and policy has transformed immunization programs worldwide. As Director, Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals for the World Health Organization (WHO), O’Brien leads the global strategy to inform global vaccine policy, accelerate vaccine research, strengthen immunization programs, and advance vaccine equity.

O’Brien has also led initiatives on vaccine access and vaccine research and development in her past role as the Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has served on WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and the Gavi Board, where her work has influenced vaccine financing, policy development, and global immunization strategies.

Before co-founding IVAC in 2009, O’Brien was Director of Infectious Disease at the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, where she led groundbreaking research on vaccine development and implementation for vaccine-preventable diseases disproportionately affecting Indigenous populations. Her work in large-scale vaccine impact studies and clinical trials has been instrumental in the licensure and global introduction of vaccines against pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

A pediatrician and epidemiologist, O’Brien earned her medical degree from McGill University and a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She completed her pediatric and infectious disease training at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. O’Brien’s leadership has left an indelible mark on the global immunization landscape. Her tireless advocacy for vaccine equity has strengthened immunization programs, shaped international health policy, saved lives, and improved the health of populations across generations.