The IVI-SK bioscience Park MahnHoon Award

Dr. Rino Rappuoli, PhD & Dr. Mariagrazia Pizza, PhD

Dr. Rino Rappuoli and Dr. Mariagrazia Pizza jointly pioneered a new more scientific approach to vaccine development – “reverse vaccinology” that takes what we understand about the viral and bacterial pathogens and immune responses against them to design an optimal vaccine candidate. Using this approach they developed a new vaccine against the Type B meningococcus, a devastating infection of the nervous system that occurs most commonly in infants aged under 1 year, as well as children and adolescents. This vaccine is now licensed (Bexero) and has shown to be highly efficacious in preventing the disease.

Dr. Rappuoli is now the Scientific Director of Biotecnopolo di Siena Foundation in Italy and was formerly the Chief Scientist at GSK Vaccines, His extensive contributions to vaccinology also include a molecule, CRM197, that today is the most widely used carrier for vaccines against H. influenzae, N. meningitidis and pneumococcus, and is used to vaccinate most children worldwide.

Dr. Mariagrazia Pizza is former Senior Scientific Director Bacterial Vaccines at GSK. In the 1980s, she took on a project aimed at designing genetically detoxified pertussis toxin. This research led to the identification of a genetically detoxified pertussis toxin as the antigen ideal for a new vaccine for being devoid of toxicity but highly immunogenic. In 1999, she became the project leader for the identification of new Meningococcus B antigens using the ‘reverse vaccinology’ approach. This allowed the development of the MenB vaccine, which has been licensed in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Prof. Andrew Pollard, MD, PhD & Prof. Sarah Gilbert, PhD

Prof. Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oxford, led the clinical development of the Oxford/AZ COVID-19 vaccine across 3 continents, one of the first and most widely administered vaccines in the fight against the pandemic. He has conducted extensive clinical, basic and epidemiological research crucial to the understanding of the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases and has led pioneering work on meningococcal, pneumococcal, typhoid and COVID-19 vaccines which underpins global policy on immunization against these diseases.

Prof. Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford and a co-inventor of the Oxford/AZ vaccine, was the driving force behind the creation of this novel adenoviral vectored COVID vaccine. More than 3.1 billion doses of the vaccine have been released for supply to over 180 countries, including over 580 million doses that were made available to COVAX for low- and middle-income countries, or about 31 percent of all COVAX supplies. As a leader of vaccine advocacy she is also the author of the book ‘Vaxxers: The Inside Story of the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine and the Race Against the Virus.’ Her work also focuses on the rapid transfer of vaccines into GMP manufacturing and first in human trials as part of efforts to accelerate the development and introduction of new vaccines.

Prof. Jan Holmgren

Prof. Jan Holmgren is an immunologist and vaccinologist from the University of Gothenburg, discovered the importance of IgA immunity on the gut mucosal surface for immune protection against cholera, leading to his team’s development of the first effective oral cholera vaccine (OCV). Collaborating with Prof. John Clemens, the first Director General of IVI, they improved the accessibility and efficacy of OCV for low-income countries by developing the world’s first low-cost OCV. Their work further demonstrated the concept of ‘herd immunity,’ which augments OCVs’ protective impact against cholera outbreaks, enabling the creation of the World Health Organization OCV stockpile for global cholera crises. OCV, alongside clean water and sanitation, now is a cornerstone in WHO’s ‘Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030.’

Prof. Barney Graham & Prof. Jason McLellan

Prof. Barney Graham is a clinical trials physician, viral immunologist and Director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, is recognized for his pioneering work in viral pathogenesis, vaccine development, and leadership in structure-based vaccine design and mRNA technology. In collaboration with structural virologist Jason McLellan, he contributed significantly to the development of the spike protein targets utilized in widely used COVID vaccines and in the world’s first RSV vaccines. Dr. Graham is also known for his leadership in the prototype pathogen concept for pandemic preparedness that set the stage for his team to develop the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to enter Phase 1 clinical evaluation in 2020.

Prof. Jason McLellan is a structural virologist at The University of Texas at Austin, is a pioneer in the field of structure-based vaccine design. His groundbreaking research into viral protein structure and function, as well as his innovative advancements in protein engineering, have been instrumental in the development of vaccines and potential therapeutics for pathogens affecting billions of people. His technological contributions have been integral to the rapid development of leading COVID-19 vaccines, which saved millions of lives. Moreover, the proteins engineered by his team serve as the foundation for vaccines targeting RSV.

Prof. Pierre van Damme & Dr. Ananda Sankar Bandyopadhyay

Prof. Pierre van Damme, Director of the Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination (CEV) and professor at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, is cited for his extraordinary achievements in vaccine research, development, and policy. A world-renowned vaccinologist, he played a pioneering role in the development of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) as part of an international consortium. His leadership in the landmark Phase I ‘Poliopolis (container village for trial participants)’ study enabled the rapid advancement of nOPV2, which became the first vaccine to receive WHO Emergency Use Authorization. His vision also led to the establishment of ‘Vaccinopolis,’ a state-of-the-art facility designed for high-containment challenge trials. As the founder of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention, he continues to shape the future of vaccinology.

Dr. Ananda Sankar Bandyopadhyay is the Deputy Director of Technology, Research, and Analytics on the Polio Team at the Gates Foundation in the United States. A distinguished medical epidemiologist and advocate for global health, Dr. Bandyopadhyay has been instrumental in polio eradication efforts. His leadership in developing the nOPV2 vaccine and its rollout in countries worldwide has significantly reduced the risk of vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks. To date, over 1.5 billion doses of the vaccine have been distributed in more than 41 countries, helping combat variant polio outbreaks. His contributions through the nOPV2 vaccine have been transformative in advancing immunization policies and strategies. Dr. Bandyopadhyay’s expertise spans surveillance, vaccine innovation, and public health policy, and his exemplary efforts have earned him accolades, including the Alumni Award of Merit from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Ms. Luiza Helena Trajano & Ms. Svetha Janumpalli

Ms. Luiza Helena Trajano is the Founder and President of ‘Grupo Mulheres do Brasil (Group of Women of Brazil).’ Ms. Trajano’s leadership has mobilized over 128,000 women globally through the ‘Group of Women of Brazil,’ a nonprofit dedicated to social causes aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, her organization’s ‘United for the Vaccine’ initiative significantly increased vaccination coverage in Brazil’s underserved regions, effectively addressing logistical and resource challenges. The organization’s efforts also extend to training healthcare professionals, advancing HPV vaccination programs, and championing gender equality. Recognized by TIME and the Financial Times as one of the world’s most influential figures, Ms. Trajano continues to inspire transformative change on a global scale.

Ms. Svetha Janumpalli is the Founder and CEO of New Incentives. As the visionary behind New Incentives, Ms. Janumpalli has pioneered an innovative incentive strategy known as Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) to improve health outcomes in underserved communities in Nigeria. New Incentives provides small, predictable sums of money to encourage routine childhood immunizations, ensuring access to life-saving vaccines for vulnerable populations. Caregivers receive small cash incentives when they bring their infant in for routine immunizations. Under her leadership, New Incentives’ program has become one of the most cost-effective approaches to saving lives. By remaining committed to evidence of impact and an iterative approach, Ms. Janumpalli has scaled this impactful intervention across 6,700 clinics, reaching over 4.6 million infants.