New Media Department           Yu Jie, Duan Yuqing            March 15, 2023

There’s never been a better time to recognize standout individuals in health, medicine, and science. Although there are countless contenders to choose from, we’ve selected just 46 — an homage to the number of chromosomes in human DNA.

Many on the STATUS List are well-known as leaders and influencers in areas like biotechnology and public health; others are largely unheralded heroes. But all have compelling stories to tell. 

There is no easy prescription for assembling this list. As part of a months-long process, STAT leaned on its seasoned editorial team to research and identify hundreds of finalists who made noteworthy contributions to their fields over the past year. Then a panel of STAT reporters and editors winnowed the list down, placing special emphasis on people who have sought to help others and build community in these often-divisive times.

We think the result is a list as diverse as it is fascinating. We hope you agree.

Seth Berkley, CEO of the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi)

Since 2011, Mr. Berkley has led Gavi's efforts to encourage pharmaceutical companies to increase vaccine production to meet overall demand in low- and middle-income countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this approach became the template for COVAX, a global initiative that eventually distributed more than 1.8 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to 146 countries. Now, Mr Berkley said the world must spend more energy eradicating some "old enemies" such as polio and preparing vaccines ahead of time for future outbreaks of Ebola and other infections. “We need to make these investments in peacetime,” he told the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.

Albert Bourla, CEOof Pfizer

Under the leadership of Dr. Bourla, the new crown mRNA vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech was the first to receive emergency use authorization from the US FDA at the end of 2020. The oral antiviral drug Paxlovid was also authorized a year later. Pfizer plans to launch 19 drugs and vaccines between January 2023 and June 2024. These drugs include vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus, as well as drugs to treat multiple myeloma and hair loss. "This is a very exciting pipeline that will make a huge difference in people's lives," Dr. Bourla said.

more from STATUS List 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023, from https://www.statnews.com/status-list/2023/?utm_source=statnews.com&utm_campaign=hp_widget&utm_medium=alert#industry-academia