Dr. Peter Hotez Wins Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's David E. Rogers Award

HOUSTON, TX – (September 21, 2021) – Dr. Peter Hotez, Texas Children’s Hospital Chair in Tropical Pediatrics, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, was named the 2021 Recipient of the David E. Rogers Award. The annual award, sponsored by both the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), honors a medical school faculty member who has made major contributions to improving the health and health care of the American people.

Originally established in memory of David E. Rogers, the first President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the award will be presented to Dr. Hotez at the 2021 AAMC Awards Recognition Event on Wednesday, October 27.

“I am thrilled to be honored with the David E. Rogers Award,” said Dr. Peter Hotez. “As we continue this fight against COVID-19, having the additional support from the AAMC will amplify our efforts to improve public health nationally and globally.”

A world-renowned expert in neglected tropical diseases, Dr. Hotez founded the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in 2011 where he leads an international team of scientists working to develop vaccines to combat some of the world’s most common yet potentially deadly diseases in some of the most poverty-stricken communities of the world. 

Professor Hotez has devoted his life to the development and delivery of treatments and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis and hookworm infection.  Most recently, Dr. Hotez is leading the development of Texas Children’s and Baylor’s COVID-19 vaccine construct, along with co-director of Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital, Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, to be scaled and deployed in low-and middle-income settings. The vaccine, currently in phase III clinical studies in India, highlights the importance of advancing traditional protein-based vaccine platforms and brings hope for a COVID-19 people’s vaccine.

In addition to vaccine research and development, Dr. Hotez is also a trusted voice in public health. During the pandemic, he has dedicated much of his time to vaccine advocacy efforts, countering rising antivaccine and anti-science sentiments in the United States while promoting vaccine diplomacy efforts globally.  

Dr. Hotez received his M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College, his Ph.D. (biochemistry) from the Rockefeller University, both in New York, and his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (phi beta kappa) from Yale University. He is the author of more than 600 scientific papers and four books, including his most recent title, Preventing the Next Pandemic: Vaccine Diplomacy in a Time of Anti-Science (Johns Hopkins University Press). He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served as a U.S. Science Envoy for the State Department and White House under the Obama administration.

Learn more about Dr. Peter Hotez and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation David E. Rogers Award here.

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country, Texas Children’s Pediatrics; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.