Samuel Katz (pediatrician)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Katz is an American pediatrician and virologist whose career has been devoted to infectious disease research, focusing principally on vaccine research and development
. Katz is currently the Wilburt Cornell Davison Professor and Chairman Emeritus of Pediatrics at Duke University
.
He is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College
and Harvard Medical School
. After medical internship at Beth Israel Hospital
he completed pediatrics residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital
and the Boston Children's Hospital, followed by a research fellowship in virology and infectious disease
s, and then became a staff member at Children's Hospital working with Nobel Laureate John F. Enders. He remained with Enders for 12 years during which time they developed the attenuated measles virus
vaccine now used throughout the world. In addition to his work on measles, Katz has been involved in studies of many other pathogens and infectious diseases including vaccinia
, polio, rubella, influenza, pertussis, HIV, and Haemophilus influenzae
b conjugates.
Katz has chaired the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics
(the Redbook Committee), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
(ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control, the Vaccine Priorities Study of the Institute of Medicine
(IOM), and several WHO and CVI vaccine and HIV panels. He is a member of many scientific advisory committees and boards including the NIH, IOM, WHO, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (Chairman), and the Hasbro Children's Foundation. He was Chairman of the Public Policy Council of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and currently co-chairs IDSA's Vaccine Initiative.
Katz was the 2003 winner of the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal
awarded by the Sabin Vaccine Institute
for his contributions to vaccine discoveries during his career.
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
. Katz is currently the Wilburt Cornell Davison Professor and Chairman Emeritus of Pediatrics at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
.
He is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
. After medical internship at Beth Israel Hospital
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts is a major flagship teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital and New England Deaconess Hospital...
he completed pediatrics residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
and the Boston Children's Hospital, followed by a research fellowship in virology and infectious disease
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
s, and then became a staff member at Children's Hospital working with Nobel Laureate John F. Enders. He remained with Enders for 12 years during which time they developed the attenuated measles virus
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
vaccine now used throughout the world. In addition to his work on measles, Katz has been involved in studies of many other pathogens and infectious diseases including vaccinia
Vaccinia
Vaccinia virus is a large, complex, enveloped virus belonging to the poxvirus family. It has a linear, double-stranded DNA genome approximately 190 kbp in length, and which encodes for approximately 250 genes. The dimensions of the virion are roughly 360 × 270 × 250 nm, with a mass of...
, polio, rubella, influenza, pertussis, HIV, and Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus influenzae
Haemophilus influenzae, formerly called Pfeiffer's bacillus or Bacillus influenzae, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium first described in 1892 by Richard Pfeiffer during an influenza pandemic. A member of the Pasteurellaceae family, it is generally aerobic, but can grow as a facultative anaerobe. H...
b conjugates.
Katz has chaired the Committee on Infectious Diseases of the American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is the major professional association of pediatricians in the United States. The AAP was founded in 1930 by 35 pediatricians to address pediatric healthcare standards. It currently has 60,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas...
(the Redbook Committee), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices provides advice and guidance on effective control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S. civilian population. The ACIP develops written recommendations for routine administration of vaccines to the pediatric and adult populations, along with...
(ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control, the Vaccine Priorities Study of the Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
(IOM), and several WHO and CVI vaccine and HIV panels. He is a member of many scientific advisory committees and boards including the NIH, IOM, WHO, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (Chairman), and the Hasbro Children's Foundation. He was Chairman of the Public Policy Council of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and currently co-chairs IDSA's Vaccine Initiative.
Katz was the 2003 winner of the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal
Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal
The Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in recognition of work in the field of vaccinology or a complementary field. It is in commemoration of the pioneering work of Albert B. Sabin.-List of previous recipients:...
awarded by the Sabin Vaccine Institute
Sabin Vaccine Institute
The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit, 501 organization dedicated to reducing needless humansuffering from vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases through prevention and treatment...
for his contributions to vaccine discoveries during his career.