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ARMENIAN PIONEER IN VIROLOGY DIES
http://asbarez.com/120068/armenian-pioneer-in-virology-dies/
Thursday, February 27th, 2014
Dr. Albert Kapikian (middle) first identified the hepatitis A virus
(HAV) in 1973. His groundbreaking work led to development of the
first licensed HAV vaccine. (Photo: NIAID)
BETHESDA, Maryland--Dr. Albert Z. Kapikian, M.D., a pioneering
virologist at the National Institutes of Health who discovered
norovirus and led a decades-long effort that resulted in the first
licensed rotavirus vaccine, died on Feb. 24, 2014. He was 83 years
old. Dr. Kapikian was the former chief of the epidemiology section
of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at NIH's National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a position he held for
45 years.
"Al Kapikian was a giant in the field of virology," said NIAID Director
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "His seminal basic and clinical research
contributions to the study of viruses and to vaccine development have
had an enormous global impact. Importantly, he was a warm-hearted,
beloved, and widely respected human being. His many friends at NIAID
and NIH mourn the loss of their esteemed colleague."
Dr. Albert Z. Kapikian
Dr. Kapikian often was called the father of human gastroenteritis virus
research for his work on improving the understanding and prevention
of viral diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract.
In 1972, he identified the first norovirus, initially called Norwalk
virus. Noroviruses are now recognized as a major cause of epidemic
diarrhea in adults worldwide. In 1973, Dr. Kapikian and his colleagues
identified the hepatitis A virus. He also was the first scientist in
the United States to detect human rotavirus, which had been discovered
by others in Australia. He dedicated himself to studying this leading
cause of severe diarrhea in children, which accounts for more than
400,000 deaths annually, mostly in developing countries.
"Al was my hero," said Kathryn C. Zoon, Ph.D., director of the NIAID
Division of Intramural Research. "He was a modest man who made many
remarkable discoveries in virology and saved many lives through his
vaccine development efforts. He will be missed by his NIAID family."
Dr. Kapikian and his research group defined the mode of transmission
of rotavirus, identified the viral proteins critical for triggering
an immune response, and formulated a vaccine that targeted several
important rotavirus strains. These efforts ultimately led to the
development, testing and approval by the Food and Drug Administration
in 1998 of the first rotavirus vaccine. Subsequently, Dr. Kapikian
headed the development of second-generation rotavirus vaccines that
have been licensed by pharmaceutical companies in Brazil, China, and
India. He also contributed to ongoing efforts to improve rotavirus
vaccines and expand their use in the developing world.
He received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College
in 1956 and joined NIAID in 1957. His numerous accomplishments earned
him the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal, the Maurice Hilleman/Merck Award
of the American Society for Microbiology and the Children's Vaccine
Initiative Pasteur Award, among many other honors.
"Al was a great scientist who worked as hard as humanly possible on
the development of an attenuated virus vaccine for rotavirus," said
Brian R. Murphy, M.D., former co-chief of the NIAID Laboratory of
Infectious Diseases. "Most importantly, he was a great colleague to
those of us lucky enough to have worked with him. He was thoughtful,
gentle, kind, enthusiastic, encouraging and extremely intelligent. He
was a sports enthusiast, a master of the knuckleball and a great
father, with a loving wife, sons and grandchildren."
From: A. Papazian
http://asbarez.com/120068/armenian-pioneer-in-virology-dies/
Thursday, February 27th, 2014
Dr. Albert Kapikian (middle) first identified the hepatitis A virus
(HAV) in 1973. His groundbreaking work led to development of the
first licensed HAV vaccine. (Photo: NIAID)
BETHESDA, Maryland--Dr. Albert Z. Kapikian, M.D., a pioneering
virologist at the National Institutes of Health who discovered
norovirus and led a decades-long effort that resulted in the first
licensed rotavirus vaccine, died on Feb. 24, 2014. He was 83 years
old. Dr. Kapikian was the former chief of the epidemiology section
of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at NIH's National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a position he held for
45 years.
"Al Kapikian was a giant in the field of virology," said NIAID Director
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "His seminal basic and clinical research
contributions to the study of viruses and to vaccine development have
had an enormous global impact. Importantly, he was a warm-hearted,
beloved, and widely respected human being. His many friends at NIAID
and NIH mourn the loss of their esteemed colleague."
Dr. Albert Z. Kapikian
Dr. Kapikian often was called the father of human gastroenteritis virus
research for his work on improving the understanding and prevention
of viral diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract.
In 1972, he identified the first norovirus, initially called Norwalk
virus. Noroviruses are now recognized as a major cause of epidemic
diarrhea in adults worldwide. In 1973, Dr. Kapikian and his colleagues
identified the hepatitis A virus. He also was the first scientist in
the United States to detect human rotavirus, which had been discovered
by others in Australia. He dedicated himself to studying this leading
cause of severe diarrhea in children, which accounts for more than
400,000 deaths annually, mostly in developing countries.
"Al was my hero," said Kathryn C. Zoon, Ph.D., director of the NIAID
Division of Intramural Research. "He was a modest man who made many
remarkable discoveries in virology and saved many lives through his
vaccine development efforts. He will be missed by his NIAID family."
Dr. Kapikian and his research group defined the mode of transmission
of rotavirus, identified the viral proteins critical for triggering
an immune response, and formulated a vaccine that targeted several
important rotavirus strains. These efforts ultimately led to the
development, testing and approval by the Food and Drug Administration
in 1998 of the first rotavirus vaccine. Subsequently, Dr. Kapikian
headed the development of second-generation rotavirus vaccines that
have been licensed by pharmaceutical companies in Brazil, China, and
India. He also contributed to ongoing efforts to improve rotavirus
vaccines and expand their use in the developing world.
He received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College
in 1956 and joined NIAID in 1957. His numerous accomplishments earned
him the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal, the Maurice Hilleman/Merck Award
of the American Society for Microbiology and the Children's Vaccine
Initiative Pasteur Award, among many other honors.
"Al was a great scientist who worked as hard as humanly possible on
the development of an attenuated virus vaccine for rotavirus," said
Brian R. Murphy, M.D., former co-chief of the NIAID Laboratory of
Infectious Diseases. "Most importantly, he was a great colleague to
those of us lucky enough to have worked with him. He was thoughtful,
gentle, kind, enthusiastic, encouraging and extremely intelligent. He
was a sports enthusiast, a master of the knuckleball and a great
father, with a loving wife, sons and grandchildren."
From: A. Papazian