The Research!America 2024 Advocacy Awards were held in person on March 13 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.
This event brought together the breadth of the research & development ecosystem – very much including patients – to honor truly inspiring leaders. Our honorees participated in two candid, fast-paced, and insight-filled panel discussions, one on the state of science in America and the second on the vital ways U.S. and global health intersect. Lori Weiss, a patient advocate from the Alzheimer’s Association, demonstrated courage and commitment in talking about her own experience with Alzheimer’s, from helping her grandfather to her own diagnosis and participation in a clinical trial. She reminded us why advocacy matters, a fitting motif for the evening.
Thank you to everyone who attended and to our many sponsors and benefactors who made the evening possible.
- Watch a recording of the program.
- View a photo slideshow from the program and reception.
2024 Honorees
Our 2024 Advocacy Awards honorees include outstanding advocates for medical and health research and individuals, entities, or partnerships demonstrating commitment to research through discovery, innovation, public communications, and leadership.
Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy
The Honorable Patty Murray
U.S. Senate (D-WA)
BIO
The Honorable Bill Cassidy, MD
U.S. Senate (R-LA)
BIO
John Edward Porter Legacy Award,
generously supported by Ann Lurie
The Honorable Michael N. Castle
Chair Emeritus, Research!America
Governor of Delaware, 1985-1992
U.S. Representative, 1993-2011
BIO
Builders of Science Award
Rita R. Colwell, PhD
Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, College Park
BIO
Herbert Pardes Family Award for National Leadership in Advocacy for Research
Norman R. Augustine
Retired Chairman & CEO, Lockheed Martin Corp.,
Former Undersecretary of the Army
BIO
Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award
Robert W. Conn, PhD
Distinguished Policy Fellow, School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego
President and CEO, Emeritus, The Kavli Foundation
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Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award
Alzheimer’s Association
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Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion
Abraham C. Verghese MD, MACP
Author; Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor
Vice Chair for the Theory and Practice of Medicine
Department of Medicine, Stanford University
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Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Awards,
generously supported by Johnson & Johnson
Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award
Rajiv J. Shah, MD
President, The Rockefeller Foundation
BIO
Building the Foundation Award
Jason S. McLellan, PhD
Professor, Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry, Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin
BIO
Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award
Celine Gounder, MD, ScM
Senior Fellow and Editor-at-Large for Public Health, KFF Health News
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Rapid Translation Award
Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance
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Thank you to our sponsors and benefactors!
Research!America’s Advocacy Awards
For information about sponsorship opportunities for the Advocacy Awards, please contact Katie Goode, Senior Director, Alliance Development and Membership at kgoode@researchamerica.org.