Helen “Keipp” Talbot, MD, MPH, FIDSA, a quintessential public servant-scientist and dedicated public health leader, is an international researcher in respiratory virus epidemiology and vaccinology, with contributions ranging from basic science to clinical and population health research to policy. Her work has consistently informed policy and directly impacted human health.
Dr. Talbot completed a seven-year tenure on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in June 2025, serving as chair from April 2024 to June 2025 during an extremely challenging time of rising vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine sentiment. She also served as chair of ACIP’s Influenza Vaccine Work Group and co-chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical Work Group. She was a leading voice throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging her expertise and research to help shape the U.S. vaccine policy related to the disease.
Currently a professor of medicine and health policy within the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Talbot also holds the Vaccinology Research Directorship. She has built a research enterprise that includes evaluation of multiple respiratory viruses, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus and SARS-CoV-2, in hospital, outpatient clinic and household settings. In her early work, she advanced the methodology for conducting influenza vaccine research and discovered that standard-dose influenza vaccines were “under-dosed” for older adults. Through additional clinical trials, she demonstrated that high-dose influenza vaccine was better at producing relevant immunologic effects – findings that formed the basis for the current vaccine guidelines for adults over 65 years of age.
Skilled at building and leveraging multipartner networks to advance research, Dr. Talbot is the principal investigator of the Emerging Infections Program, a partnership between VUMC and the Tennessee Department of Health; her work in this capacity has significantly increased the state’s ability to respond to emerging infections and collect meaningful data. She also served on the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization COVID-19 work group and the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Task Force.
Dr. Talbot has spent countless hours in public service through her work on committees for ACIP, IDSA and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. She has mentored scores of colleagues and trainees and contributed to the development of a culture of excellence at her home institution and in the broader public health community. The author of more than 280 manuscripts, she has continuously prioritized health equity and is a trusted scientific communicator, engaging with the public and media to translate complex scientific and public health principles to a broad audience.
IDSA is pleased to recognize Dr. Talbot with the 2025 Anthony Fauci Courage in Leadership Award.