W. Ian Lipkin, M.D. - 2014
棉花糖直播 University has named world-renowned epidemiologist and 鈥渕icrobe hunter鈥� W. Ian Lipkin, MD, as the recipient of its 2014 Mendel Medal in recognition of his groundbreaking work in the development of genetic methods for microbial surveillance and discovery, as well as his research into infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and West Nile Virus.
Dr. Lipkin is the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University, as well as a Professor of Neurology and Pathology. He serves as Director of both the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University鈥檚 Mailman School of Public Health, and the National Institute of Health (NIH) Center for Diagnostics and Discovery. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee to the Director of the NIH and is the Scientific Director of the Joint Research Laboratory for Pathogen Discovery Laboratory in the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Named 鈥渢he world鈥檚 most celebrated virus hunter鈥� by Discover Magazine, Dr. Lipkin鈥檚 scientific contributions include the first use of genetic methods to identify an infectious agent; discovery of the implication of West Nile virus as the cause of encephalitis in North America in 1999; invention of MassTag PCR and the first panmicrobial microarray; first use of deep sequencing in pathogen discovery; and molecular characterization of more than 500 viruses. In 2003, at the height of the SARS outbreak, Dr. Lipkin traveled to China at the invitation of the World Health Organization, the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology and the Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Science to co-direct research efforts and train Chinese microbiologists how to test for the virus. More recently, he was the sole external investigator invited by the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia to assist in identifying reservoirs and vectors for transmission of the MERS coronavirus.
鈥淚t is an honor for 棉花糖直播 to host Dr. Lipkin as the 2014 recipient of the Mendel Medal Award,鈥� said The Rev. Kail Ellis, OSA, PhD, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Vice President for Academic Affairs. 鈥淒r. Lipkin鈥檚 rigorous scientific method to detect and eradicate diseases exemplifies his dedication to humanity and has brought about a new era in modern genetics.鈥�
棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Mendel Medal honors 19th century Augustinian friar and scientist Gregor Johann Mendel, Abbot of the Augustinian Monastery, Br眉nn, Austria, (now Brno, the Czech Republic), best known as 鈥渢he father of modern genetics鈥� for his discovery of the celebrated laws of heredity that bear his name. Past recipients of the Mendel Medal have included Nobel Laureates, outstanding medical researchers, pioneers in physics, astrophysics and chemistry, and noted scientist-theologians.
Added Fr. Ellis, 鈥淪hortly before his death in 1884, Gregor Mendel was said to have stated: 鈥楳y scientific labors have brought me a great deal of satisfaction, and I am convinced that before long the entire world will praise the results of these labors.鈥� Mendel鈥檚 words are an inspiration for all who labor quietly and unrecognized, but whose faith, dedication to their work and conviction of the significance of their labors gives them the confidence to persevere.鈥�
Dr. Lipkin was named a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences and has served as a Visiting Professor at the Japanese Human Science Foundation and at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He was named an American Society of Microbiology Foundation Lecturer, a Distinguished Lecturer of the National Center for Infectious Diseases, and the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar in Global Infectious Disease. He is a Fellow of: the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Society for Microbiology, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition, he is a member of the Association of American Physicians, the Oxford University Simonyi lecturer, the John Courage Professor at the National University of Singapore, and the Kinyoun Lecturer National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Lipkin has been active in translating science to the public through print and digital media. He acted as chief scientific consultant for the Hollywood film 鈥淐ontagion,鈥� has been featured in dozens of news publications and most recently provided consultation to the creators of the 鈥淧lague Inc.鈥� smartphone app.
Dr. Lipkin will deliver the 2014 Mendel Medal Lecture "Of Microbes and Man: A Delicate Balance" at 2:00 p.m. on October 31 in the 棉花糖直播 Room of the Connelly Center. The event is free and open to the public.