15 September 2025, SEOUL, Republic of Korea – The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) today awarded the 2025 IVI Founders Medal to Prof. John D. Clemens, Founding Director General of IVI, in recognition of his invaluable contributions to IVI’s establishment, growth, and global impact.

Prof. Clemens, a distinguished infectious disease epidemiologist, served as IVI’s inaugural Director General from 1999 to 2011. When he assumed leadership, IVI operated with only 12 staff members and one research project, without laboratories or a permanent headquarters. Under his tenure, IVI rapidly grew to over 150 staff and launched research programs in nearly 30 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, addressing diseases such as cholera, typhoid, shigellosis, rotavirus, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, Hib, and pneumococcus.

Prof. Clemens oversaw the creation of IVI’s laboratory research program, strengthened vaccine development and technology transfer capacity, and championed global field research. His leadership directly contributed to the development and introduction of the world’s first safe, effective, and affordable oral cholera vaccine (OCV, Shanchol^TM), which was WHO-prequalified in 2011 and made possible the establishment of the WHO OCV global stockpile in 2013. He also led efforts to transfer oral cholera vaccine technology to EuBiologics, enabling production of Euvichol, now a key component of global cholera control. IVI’s typhoid conjugate vaccine program also advanced significantly under his leadership, laying the groundwork for the vaccine’s eventual WHO-prequalification.

Prof. Clemens said, “It was a privilege to lead IVI during its early days and to guide its transition from an abstract dream to an institution that transformed this dream into tangible programs, services and products that have improved the health of populations in the world’s poorest countries. This transition was far from a certainty and not without major challenges, and would not have been possible without the talented scientists and other staff who were brave enough to join the fledgling institute at the beginning, our wonderful collaborators in Korea and abroad, and support from the Board of Trustees, the founding group of senior Korean professors on the IVI Korean Support Committee, the Government of Korea, and the Gates Foundation”.

A graduate of Stanford (B.S.) and Yale (M.D.), Prof. Clemens has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous honors, including the Sabin Gold Medal (2010) and the Prince Mahidol Award in Public Health (2018). After leaving IVI, he became the Founding Director of a new Center for Global Infectious Diseases at UCLA, where he holds a continuing appointment, served as Executive Director of icddr,b in Bangladesh (2013–2021), and continues to support IVI as Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director General.

“The IVI Founders Medal is not only a recognition of individual achievement—it’s a tribute to the vision, leadership and unending dedication that has built IVI from the ground up,” said Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI. “Prof. Clemens exemplifies the spirit of vaccine and global health innovation. His contributions and legacy continue to inspire our work today, as we endeavor to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines—empowering vaccine equity, impact, and sustainability globally.”

The IVI Founders Medal has honored four founders of the Institute, namely, Profs. Wan Kyoo Cho, the late Sang Dai Park, Seungil Shin, and Barry Bloom in 2022; Dr. Richard Mahoney in 2023; and Prof. Sang Chul Park, and Dr. Frank Hartvelt in 2024.