We have a winner!

Dr. Adam L. Cohen, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) South Africa’s Influenza Program Director in the South Africa Regional Global Disease Detection Centre, , on June 6, 2014 was announced as one of the winners of the prestigious 2014 Charles C. Shepard Science Award in the Assessment Category.

Dr. Adam L. Cohen is the winner of the prestigious Charles C. Shepard Science Award

Dr. Cohen received the award – in absentia, as he was still in South Africa at the time – for a paper he co-authored entitled “Impact of Introduction of the Haemophilus influenzae Type b Conjugate Vaccine into Childhood Immunization on Meningitis in Bangladeshi Infants.” The Charles C. Shepard Science Award is presented to the best manuscript on original research published by a CDC or Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) scientist in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal.

The purpose of the award is to recognize excellence in scientific achievement by CDC and ATSDR authors of outstanding scientific papers and to honor the memory of Charles C. Shepard whose career was marked by the pursuit of scientific excellence. There are four scientific categories: Assessment, Data Methods and Study Design, Laboratory Science, and Prevention and Control.

“It’s gratifying to be recognized for your work, especially something that took so much time and effort,” said Dr. Cohen. There were 26 publications nominated in the Assessment Category. They underwent two rounds of reviews by 16 reviewers, with Dr. Cohen and his co-authors’ manuscript being chosen as the best paper on original research published in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal by a CDC or ATSDR scientist during the previous calendar year (2013).

“There is still a lot of work to be done to show the impact of other vaccines that are newly introduced into countries’ vaccine programs, such as pneumococcal, rotavirus, and influenza vaccines,” said Dr. Cohen.

Dr. Cohen’s current research focus is also going very well. “We are planning a study to look at the impact of maternal influenza vaccination on disease in their newborns. We have to continue this sort of work until all children have access to lifesaving vaccines,” concludes Dr. Cohen.

For more information on Dr. Cohen and insight into his work, also please see: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/southafrica/stories/cohen.htm

Or to view the article, please see: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022347613003090