Awards & Recognitions

Awarded annually, the Sabin Gold Medal and Rising Star Award honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to immunization and global health. These awards commemorate the legacy of the late Dr. Albert B. Sabin, who discovered the oral polio vaccine and dedicated his life to ensuring everyone in the world had access to vaccines.

The 2023 Gold Medal and Rising Star Recipients

2023 Gold Medal Recipient

Dr. Thomas Monath

Thomas P. Monath, MD

30th Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Recipient

Dr. Monath is internationally recognized for his work in both virology and vaccinology. His four decade-long career began in the U.S. government, transitioned to the biotechnology sector, and resulted in several innovative vaccines including those for Ebola Zaire, smallpox, West Nile virus, Zika and influenza. Four of his vaccines are licensed and commercialized. He has published more than 425 scientific papers, six books on virology and vaccine development, and has 35 patents to his name.

2023 Rising Star Recipient

Dr. Sangwe Clovis Nchinjoh

Sangwe Clovis Nchinjoh, MD, MPH, MS

2023 Sabin Rising Star Recipient

Dr. Nchinjoh is a public health physician and researcher in Cameroon. His work primarily focuses on generating evidence on the best approaches to identifying, mapping, and vaccinating zero-dose children in missed communities and conflict settings.

2022 Gold Medal Recipient

Kathrin Jansen Headshot

Kathrin Jansen, PhD

2022 Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Recipient

Dr. Jansen has led vaccine research and development (R&D) for a range of challenging diseases from COVID-19 to HPV and pneumonia, all of which afflict adults and children in low-and middle-income countries with already fragile health care systems.

2022 Sabin Rising Star Award Recipient

Kizzmekia Corbett

Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD

2022 Rising Star Awardee

Dr. Corbett’s work laid the groundwork for the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine while she was at the National Institutes of Health. She has since continued to advance vaccine development for pandemic preparedness and build public confidence in vaccines, particularly among communities of color facing health disparities.