Past Honorees
PAST ADVOCACY AWARD HONOREES
Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy
(Awardee Selection Reserved to Research!America Board of Directors)
2024 Hon. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Hon. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA)
2023 Hon. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Hon. Todd Young (R-IN)
2022 Hon. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Hon. Kay Granger (R-TX)
2021 Hon. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) (deceased)
2020 Hon. Mike B. Enzi (R-WY) (deceased) and Hon. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA)
2019 Hon. Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) and Hon. Nita M. Lowey (D-NY)
2018 Hon. Susan Collins (R-ME)
2017 Hon. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
2016 Hon. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Hon. Tom Cole (R-OK)
2015 Hon. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Hon. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
2014 Hon. Frank Wolf (R-VA)
2013 Hon. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Hon. Bob Casey (D-PA)
2012 Hon. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
2011 Hon. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)
2010 Hon. David R. Obey (D-WI)
2009 Hon. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
2008 Hon. Edward Kennedy (deceased) (D-MA)
2007 Hon. Orrin G. Hatch (deceased) (R-UT)
2006 Hon. Michael N. Castle (R-DE) and Hon. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
2005 Hon. Paul G. Rogers (deceased) (D-FL)
2004 Hon. Bob Michel (deceased) (R-IL)
2003 Hon. Connie Mack (R-FL)
2002 Hon. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
2001 Hon. Ted Stevens (deceased) (R-AK) and Hon. C.W. Bill Young (deceased) (R-FL)
2000 Hon. John Edward Porter (deceased) (R-IL) and Hon. Arlen Specter (deceased) (R-PA)
1999 Hon. Mark O. Hatfield (deceased) (R-OR)
The John Edward Porter Legacy Award, generously supported by Ann Lurie
(Awardee Selection Reserved to Research!America Board of Directors)
2024 The Hon. Michael N. Castle
2023 Lawrence A. Tabak, DDS, PhD
2022 Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD
2020 Bruce M. Alberts, PhD
2019 Hon. Louis W. Sullivan, MD
2018 Hon. John Edward Porter (deceased)
Legacy Award
2017 Anthony S. Fauci, MD
2016 Harold Varmus, MD
2009 Hon. Arlen Specter (deceased)
2006 Nancy Reagan (deceased)
2003 Hon. George W. Bush
Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Awards, generously supported by Johnson & Johnson
Outstanding Achievement in Public Health
2024 Rajiv J. Shah, MD
2023 Margaret A. Hamburg, MD
2022 Matthew Myers, Bill Novelli, and Vivian W. Pinn, MD
2021 Anthony S. Fauci, MD
Building the Foundation Award
2024 Jason S. McLellan, PhD
2023 James E. Crowe Jr., MD
2022 Christopher Murray, MD, DPhil
2021 Katalin Karikó, PhD and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD
Clear Voice Award
2021 Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS, RET) and Michelle Williams, SM, ScD
Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award
2024 Celine Gounder, MD, ScM
2023 Hip Hop Public Health
2022 Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH
2021 Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities
Rapid Translation Award
2024 Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance
2023 Noubar Afeyan, PhD
2022 Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV)
2021 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Moderna
Builders of Science Award
2024 Rita R. Colwell, PhD
Geoffrey Beene Foundation Builders of Science Award
2023 Helene Gayle, MD, MPH
2022 France A. Córdova, PhD
2020 Myron M. Levine, MD, DTPH; Gary J. Nabel, MD, PhD; Paul A. Offit, MD
2019 Susan Hockfield, PhD
2018 Roger I. Glass, MD, PhD
2017 Leland H. Hartwell, PhD
2016 John H. Noseworthy, MD
2015 David Van Andel and George Vande Woude, PhD (deceased)
2014 Leroy Hood, MD, PhD
2013 John Mendelsohn, MD (deceased)
2012 Donald A. B. Lindberg, MD (deceased)
Builders of Science Award
(Predecessor of Geoffrey Beene Foundation Builders of Science Award)
2011 Dean Kamen
2010 Robert W. Mahley, MD, PhD
2009 David Baltimore, PhD
2008 Richard A. Lerner, MD (deceased)
2007 Michael S. Brown, MD; Joseph L. Goldstein, MD; and Donald W. Seldin, MD (deceased)
Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award
2024 Robert W. Conn, PhD
2023 Heywood Fralin and Michael J. Friedlander, PhD
2022 Jed Manocherian
2020 Mary Fogarty McAndrew
2019 Denny Sanford
2018 Shari and Garen Staglin
2017 Joseph Biden
2016 Trish (deceased) and George Vradenburg
2015 Michael Milken
2014 Kathy Giusti
2013 John F. Crowley
2012 Scott Johnson
2011 Hon. Michael R. Bloomberg
2010 Robert Klein II, JD
2009 James E. Stowers (deceased) and Virginia G. Stowers (deceased)
2008 Pat Furlong
2007 Susan Axelrod
Exceptional Contributions as a Volunteer Advocate for Medical or Other Health-Related Research
(Predecessor of Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award)
2006 Gordon Gund
2005 Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker
2004 Ellen V. Sigal, PhD
2003 Wendy Chaite, Esq.
2002 Constance E. Lieber (deceased)
2001 Joan I. Samuelson
2000 David (deceased) and Lynn Frohnmayer
1999 Tenley E. Albright, MD
1998 John Z. Aquilino (deceased)and John D. Aquilino
1998 Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff
1998 S. Robert Levine, MD and Leah Mullin
1997 Sharon Monsky (deceased)
The Herbert Pardes Family Award for National Leadership in Advocacy for Research
2024 Norman R. Augustine
2023 Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD
2022 Neal F. Lane, PhD
2020 Michael M.E. Johns, MD
2019 David R. Williams, PhD
Research!America Advocacy Award for Sustained National Leadership
2018 Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD
Sustained Leadership at the National Level
2004 Eric S. Lander, PhD
2003 Paul Berg, PhD (deceased)
2002 Robert N. Butler, MD (deceased)
2001 Robert H. Brook, MD, ScD
2000 Roscoe Robinson, MD (deceased)
1999 Margaret E. Mahoney (deceased)
Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion
2024 Abraham C. Verghese, MD, MACP
2023 Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness, a film by Ken Burns, Erik Ewers, Christopher Loren Ewers, Julie Coffman, and David Blistein
2022 Walter Isaacson
2020 Renée Fleming
2019 Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil
2018 Atul Gawande, MD, MPH
2017 Kathy Bates
2016 Lisa Paulsen and The Entertainment Industry Foundation
2015 Robin Roberts
2014 Glenn Close, Jessie Close and Calen Pick
2013 Diane Rehm
2012 Sanjay Gupta, MD
2011 Charlie Rose
2010 G. Thompson Hutton, Esq.
2009 Bob Woodruff
2008 Hon. Arnold Schwarzenegger
2007 Mike Wallace (deceased)
2006 Sam Donaldson
2005 Marlo Thomas
2004 Scott Hamilton
2003 Michael J. Fox
2002 Jerry Lewis (deceased)
Impact on Public Opinion Through The Media
(Predecessor of Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion)
2001 Isadore Rosenfeld, MD (deceased)
2000 James Redford (deceased)
1999 Katie Couric
1998 Morton Kondracke
1997 Benjamin Reeve
Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award
2024 Alzheimer’s Association
2023 The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
2022 Alliance for Aging Research
2020 National Multiple Sclerosis Society
2019 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
2018 EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases
2017 Lupus Foundation of America
2016 The ALS Association
2015 Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
2014 Progeria Research Foundation
2013 California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
2012 The Food Allergy Initiative
2011 Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC)
2010 March of Dimes
2009 Genetic Alliance
2008 amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
2007 Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR)
Organization That Has Distinguished Itself By Its Advocacy
(Predecessor of Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award)
2006 Center for Advancing Health
2005 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF)
2004 The American Society for Microbiology
2003 The American Society for Cell Biology
2002 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
2001 Society for Women’s Health Research
2000 Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding
1999 North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR)
1998 Connecticut United for Research Excellence, Inc. (CURE)
Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award For Sustained National Leadership
2017 Phillip A. Sharp, PhD
2016 Robert Langer, Sc.D.
2015 Kenneth Olden, PhD
2014 Reed Tuckson, MD
2013 Mark L. Rosenberg, MD
2012 Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (h.c.)
2011 J. Michael Bishop, MD
2010 Ann Lurie
2009 C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD (deceased)
2008 William Foege, MD, MPH
2007 David Satcher, MD, PhD
2006 Linda H. Aiken, PhD, RN
2005 Judah Folkman, MD (deceased)
Special Awards
Lifetime Achievement as an Advocate for Medical Research
1998 Michael E. DeBakey, MD (deceased)
1997 William G. Anlyan, MD (deceased)
Special Recognition for Research Advocacy
2000 Patty Wood (deceased) and the Washington Association for Biomedical Research
1998 Gertrude Quigley (deceased)
1997 Ellen Levine (deceased)
Inspiration, Empowerment, and Advocacy for Health
2000 PARADE Magazine – Walter Anderson