Dr. Sallie R. Permar, MD, PhD delivered the prestigious Stanley A. Plotkin Lecture in Vaccinology Oct. 21 at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), held in Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Plotkin is a vaccine hero who developed the rubella vaccine, among others. At a time when science and vaccine science are under attack, it was an energizing meeting of minds to come together as researchers, physicians and advocates to stand up for and celebrate public health.
The Stanley A. Plotkin Lecture in Vaccinology is an honor bestowed by PIDS to a distinguished scientist whose work has significantly impacted pediatric vaccinology and infectious diseases. Dr. Plotkin, founder of PIDS, has served as a mentor to Dr. Permar and both nominated and poignantly introduced her for his namesake lecture.
Dr. Permar’s selection reflects her leadership in developing vaccines that promise to reduce lifelong disabilities by preventing congenital and perinatal viral infections, as well as her commitment to championing an investment in pediatric research and the next generation of physicians and scientists. Her field of research centers on neonatal viral infections, specifically cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the development of vaccines or immune-mediated strategies to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Dr. Permar’s lecture, entitled “Eliminating Lifelong Disabilities Through Vaccination,” highlighted the enormous potential of immunization strategies to prevent not only acute CMV infection, butalso downstream life-long disease and disabilities that would be eliminated with an effective CMV vaccine. She provided a review of the global burden of congenital CMV, the identification of immune correlates of protection, the development of a nonhuman primate model that is now used to assess vaccines, the strategies being employed for next generation CMV vaccines, and the national policy landscape for CMV testing and research.
As a fierce advocate of bolstering public health, improving children’s wellbeing, and building a pipeline of researchers and physician scientists, Dr. Permar closed with an earnest and impassioned plea to collectively advocate for an investment in vaccine development, emphasizing equity and access in high-risk populations. Her roles in science, medicine and leadership offers a model for how academic medicine can address health equity, training of future physicians and scientists, and child health at a policy level.