IDSA Honors Leaders in Infectious Diseases at IDWeek 2025

The Infectious Diseases Society of America is honored to recognize 12 outstanding experts at IDWeek 2025 for their contributions to the field of infectious diseases.

“The Society is absolutely delighted to recognize these exceptional doctors, researchers, mentors and executives for their vital contributions to advancing the field of infectious diseases,” said Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, president of IDSA. “These remarkable leaders have not only driven significant progress in the battle against infectious diseases, but they’ve also strongly motivated the next generation of scientists and physicians to pursue this crucial area of study.”

Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement: Cynthia Sears, MD, FIDSA
This award honors an IDSA member or fellow for a career that reflects major contributions to the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge about infectious diseases. For 2025, we recognize Cynthia Sears, MD, FIDSA.

Dr. Sears is an exemplary scientist who has made seminal contributions to the field of ID through her groundbreaking research, leadership roles with IDSA, editorial acumen and mentorship. A role model for scores of highly successful ID specialists, she has made invaluable advances in our understanding of the microbiota and its impact on colorectal cancer and treatment.

Dr. Sears is a professor of medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. She also leads the Microbiome Program at the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins and is director of the Germ-Free Murine Facility. She has conducted numerous studies on gut infections, including diarrhea, foodborne illnesses and Clostridioides difficile. A seminal study she led, published in Science in 2018, established the connection between host microbiota and cancer. 

Her work has changed the scientific perspective on the origins of colorectal carcinoma by elucidating the role of specific tumorigenic bacteria in the progression from gut colonization to malignancy. Dr. Sears has identified toxin-producing strains of Bacteroides fragilis, characterized the mechanisms of toxin action and revealed the interplay of these strains with other key members of the gut microbiota and mucosal immune responses in promoting colorectal carcinoma, in the context of host genetic susceptibility. 

As a member of the IDSA Board of Directors from 2004 to 2007 and from 2010 to 2020, including serving as president in 2019, she led the Society’s efforts to advance national policy on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship and pandemic preparedness. She has served on or led several IDSA committees, groups and task forces and is currently editor-in-chief of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, one of IDSA’s three journals.

“Dr. Sears is a world-renowned physician-scientist, mentor, educator, editor and leader, and she embodies all the virtues celebrated by the Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement,” said Dr. Tan. “The Society is proud to celebrate Dr. Sears’ commitment to improving patient care and scientific investigation by honoring her with this award.”

Other awards presented during IDWeek 2025 include: 

Anthony Fauci Courage in Leadership Award: Helen “Keipp” Talbot, MD, MPH, FIDSA
This award celebrates individuals who inspire and encourage others to make a difference. It is awarded to a person who has demonstrated courage in leadership and a commitment to promoting scientific integrity, advocating for sound science and advancing the field of infectious diseases at their institutions or in their local, national or global communities. The 2025 recipient is Helen “Keipp” Talbot, MD, MPH, FIDSA.

In a time when courage in leadership is essential, IDSA is pleased to honor Dr. Talbot, an international researcher in respiratory virus epidemiology and vaccinology and a quintessential public servant-scientist and dedicated public health leader. Dr. Talbot’s 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 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.

IDSA is pleased to recognize Dr. Talbot with the 2025 Anthony Fauci Courage in Leadership Award.
 
D.A. Henderson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Health: David Ross, MD, PhD, MBI
This award recognizes a lifetime of achievement in public health. Dr. Henderson’s role in leading the successful eradication of smallpox will stand forever as a shining example of the profound impact that infectious diseases physicians and scientists can have in preventing disease and relieving human suffering. This year’s honoree is David B. Ross, MD, PhD, MBI. 

Dr. Ross is a strategic and transformational leader whose tenure as director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Viral Hepatitis Program led to a paradigm shift in hepatitis treatment and a healthier veteran population. 

Dr. Ross’ strategic vision and relentless dedication prompted an evolution in the VA’s approach to hepatitis C screening and treatment. Central to Dr. Ross’ strategy was a comprehensive approach to identifying patients with hepatitis C virus, developing and delivering veteran-focused treatment programs and testing for sustained virologic response. Dr. Ross changed VA policy to require reflex HCV RNA testing for all HCV antibody positive blood samples across the health care system and deployed an integrated care model that recognized the high prevalence of co-morbidities such as substance use disorder and mental health conditions among veterans with hepatitis C. This model combined specialized hepatitis C treatment with comprehensive primary care, mental health services and substance use disorder treatment. 

Dr. Ross’ approach to multidisciplinary collaboration also set the standard for national and international hepatitis C programs, influencing the proposed U.S. elimination strategy.

Under Dr. Ross’ leadership, the VA hepatitis C program achieved the remarkable feat of identifying and initiating treatment for over 90% of veterans with hepatitis C attending VA health care facilities nationwide. More than 135,000 veterans have received lifesaving, curative treatment, which significantly reduced morbidity, mortality and the long-term burden on the health care system. 

IDSA is proud to present Dr. Ross the 2025 D.A. Henderson Award for his work to improve public health through revolutionizing the hepatitis C program at the VA. 

Watanakunakorn Clinician Award: Marlene L. Durand, MD, FIDSA
This award — honoring the memory of Chatrchai Watanakunakorn, MD — recognizes IDSA members for their outstanding achievement in the clinical practice of ID. This year the award goes to Marlene L. Durand, MD, FIDSA.

Dr. Durand, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious diseases physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, is known internationally for her expertise in infections of the eyes, ears, nose and throat in addition to deep knowledge in general ID. She has developed innovative approaches to the prevention and treatment of these complex infections, including antibiotic prophylaxis protocols to successfully reduce the incidence of post-traumatic endophthalmitis and keratoprosthesis-associated endophthalmitis. She has also evaluated the efficacy of newer antifungal agents to treat invasive fungal sinusitis and techniques for the earlier diagnosis of this infection; compared the presentations and outcomes of RPR-negative versus RPR-positive ocular syphilis; described risk factors and prevention strategies for surgical site infections following major head and neck surgery; and developed treatment regimens to save vision in eyes with acute retinal necrosis or mold endophthalmitis refractory to standard therapy.   

In addition to her many clinical responsibilities, Dr. Durand has served on IDSA’s Standards and Practice Guidelines Committee and as the only ID physician member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She has been heavily invested in educating generations of ID fellows. Her warmth and humility leave a lasting impression on both patients and colleagues.

The Society is pleased to honor Dr. Durand with a 2025 Watanakunakorn Clinician Award for her compassionate commitment to patients and innovative approaches to complex infections.

The Walter E. Stamm Mentor Award: Judith A. Aberg, MD, FIDSA 
Named to honor the late Walter E. Stamm, MD, FIDSA, a past president of IDSA, this award recognizes individuals who have served as exemplary mentors. It is presented to an IDSA member or fellow who has been exceptional in guiding the professional growth of ID. This year’s honoree is Judith A. Aberg, MD, FIDSA.

An internationally recognized leader in HIV and ID whose extraordinary commitment to mentorship has profoundly shaped the careers of generations of clinicians, researchers and public health leaders, Dr. Aberg is a renowned HIV researcher who has been instrumental in developing national, state and local guidelines for HIV prevention and care. She is particularly renowned for her mentorship of women and underrepresented trainees in ID, ensuring that all individuals receive the guidance and opportunities they need to excel. 

Dr. Aberg’s impact is particularly evident in the mentorship programs she has built and sustained. As previous director of virology and leader of the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital, and most recently as dean of system operations for clinical sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, she has cultivated environments where trainees thrive. Many of her mentees have gone on to hold nationally prominent roles in academia, industry and public health.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Aberg served on the National Institutes of Health 
COVID Guidelines Committee and offered insights from the devastating experiences at Mount Sinai Hospital. Her mentorship and leadership were invaluable as she guided her trainees and colleagues through unprecedented challenges with fortitude, compassion and scientific integrity.

IDSA is proud to recognize Dr. Aberg with the 2025 Walter E. Stamm Mentor Award for her unwavering commitment to mentorship and to nurturing future leaders in ID.

Oswald Avery Award for Early Achievement: Sameer Kadri, MD, MS, FIDSA  
This award recognizes outstanding achievement in an area of infectious diseases by an IDSA member or fellow who is 45 or younger (on Dec. 31 of the year preceding the IDWeek at which the award is given). The award is based on overall achievement, not usually a single study. This year’s recipient is Sameer Kadri, MD, MS, FIDSA.

Dr. Kadri has emerged as a global leader in harnessing data science to address pressing questions in ID related to antimicrobial resistance, sepsis, the COVID-19 pandemic and other epidemiological challenges. He has conducted pivotal studies with tremendous speed that have had significant national and global impact.

A physician investigator in the Critical Care Medicine Department at the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center, Dr. Kadri created a Clinical Epidemiology Section focused on data science at NIH, negotiated access to multihospital electronic health record databases and assembled scientists from across organizations to facilitate key studies. The work Dr. Kadri did to build these resources, boost analytic capacity and foster interagency relationships was instrumental when the COVID-19 pandemic began, enabling him to pivot to studying time-sensitive challenges to inform the national COVID-19 response. By integrating data from hundreds of hospitals and millions of patients, Dr. Kadri rapidly distilled answers to key questions — findings that were used to guide government planning, develop rapid guidelines and inform messaging to the public.

Aside from his impact related to COVID-19, Dr. Kadri developed the “difficult-to-treat resistance,” or DTR, framework, which considers in vitro activity and a drug’s clinical safety and efficacy, thus adding antibiotic “quality” to in vitro resistance. He has also demonstrated that lack of novel antibiotic susceptibility testing in many U.S. hospitals is a major impediment to utilization of newer drugs, highlighting the need for faster approval and implementation of susceptibility platforms.

IDSA is pleased to recognize Dr. Kadri with the 2025 Oswald Avery Award for Early Achievement.

Clinical Teacher Award: Michael T. Melia, MD, FIDSA
This award honors a career involved in teaching clinical infectious diseases to fellows, residents or medical students and recognizes excellence as a clinician and motivation to teach the next generation. This 2025 award goes to Michael T. Melia, MD, FIDSA.

Dr. Melia is an extraordinary clinical educator who has dedicated his career to teaching ID and elevating the national culture of support for ID clinician-educators. An associate professor of medicine in the Infectious Diseases Division at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Melia currently serves as vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine and has been director of the ID Fellowship Training Program since July 2015. 

Among his contributions to IDSA, Dr. Melia chairs the IDSA Medical Education Community of Practice following roles as the group’s vice chair and IDWeek Workgroup chair. Under his leadership, the CoP has flourished into a national hub for collaboration, mentorship and professional development.

Dr. Melia has spearheaded efforts to expand IDWeek programming, foster cross-institutional networks and create growth opportunities for educators at all stages of their careers. Dr. Melia helped build and grow the IDWeek Clinician Educator Coaching Program, which pairs early-career faculty with senior faculty coaches for career advice and advancement. He remains one of its most sought-after coaches. 

His guidance has also transformed the IDWeek medical education abstract review process. Dr. Melia introduced reviewer training, standardized scoring and a culture of constructive feedback to enhance the experience for both authors and reviewers.

Dr. Melia exemplifies the spirit of the Clinical Teacher Award, and IDSA is proud to honor him with this award in 2025. 

Community Clinician Award: Kent Stock, DO, MBA, FIDSA
This award recognizes clinicians providing high-quality care, innovation or leadership in private practice, multispecialty groups or hospital-employed settings. This year the award goes to Kent Stock, DO, MBA, FIDSA.

An ID internist with more than 30 years of experience in the medical field, Dr. Stock has built a sustaining regional ID model of clinical practice, clinical trial networking and financial stability for community ID in South Carolina.

Dr. Stock began private practice in 1999 after completing an ID fellowship at Vanderbilt University under the leadership of Martin Blaser, MD, FIDSA. Today, he is the managing physician, partner, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Lowcountry Infectious Diseases and holds several hospitalist and infection prevention positions at area hospitals. A compassionate leader who is known as the “ID guru for the low-country of South Carolina,” Dr. Stock has expanded his expertise via clinical trials and new therapies related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clostridioides difficile infection and other infectious diseases.

Under Dr. Stock’s leadership, his practice provides ID consultation in outpatient and inpatient settings for several low-country hospitals, and he has established a team of exceptional nurse practitioners and physicians to ensure comprehensive patient care. 

Dr. Stock has been honored with local, regional and national awards, and his penchant for creating community is exemplified by his contributions as president of the South Carolina Infectious Diseases Society from 2022 to 2024.

IDSA is proud to present Dr. Stock with the 2025 Community Clinician Award for his expansive and dedicated work to improve ID patient care in his community and elevate the ID practitioner community. 

Society Citation Award: Christopher D. Busky, CAE; Jay Butler, MD, FIDSA; Ravi Jhaveri, MD, FIDSA; and Florence Momplaisir, MD, MSHP

The Society Citation Award is a discretionary award given in recognition of exemplary contribution to IDSA, an outstanding discovery in the field of ID or a lifetime of outstanding achievement. This year, IDSA presents the award to Christopher D. Busky, CAE; Jay Butler, MD, FIDSA; Ravi Jhaveri, MD, FIDSA; and Florence Momplaisir, MD, MSHP.

Christopher D. Busky, CAE — chief executive officer of IDSA and the IDSA Foundation — has played a transformative role in guiding the Society through pivotal and challenging times over the course of his nine-year tenure. Busky recently announced that he will be stepping down, effective Jan. 2, 2026, to spend more time with his family.

Busky has overseen efforts to embed the principles of IDA&E and health equity into the Society’s culture and programming by boosting representation across many demographic aspects to ensure the Society’s offerings are relevant to all members.

Beginning in 2020, Busky led the Society through the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. He ensured the Society played a crucial role in informing national policy and in developing evidence-based treatment and management guidelines. 

Under Busky’s leadership, IDSA also launched the Physician Compensation Initiative, calling attention to the disparity in compensation that exists for ID compared to other specialties and developing physician negotiation education and training resources; developed and advocated for a new add-on billing code for ID, which was adopted by CMS in 2025; launched a new strategic plan and volunteer structure; and introduced a new brand and identity, along with a revised mission, vision and purpose, highlighting the compassion, curiosity and knowledge that define the ID field.

For his steadfast leadership of the Society, IDSA is proud to honor Busky with a Society Citation Award.  

Jay Butler, MD, FIDSA — an ID physician, epidemiologist and public health leader — led a collaborative approach during public health emergencies that has been instrumental in formulating effective responses throughout challenging times. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Butler, who was deputy director for infectious diseases at CDC from 2019 to 2023 and then associate director for infectious diseases in CDC’s Office of Readiness and Response from 2023 to 2025, coordinated weekly calls between the IDSA Executive Committee and CDC task force members to ensure IDSA could assist in disseminating CDC’s message to Society members and the public in a factual and impactful way. His interest in “on-the-ground” insights from IDSA helped shape CDC guidance. This approach resulted in a more informed public health response in a time of public distrust and misinformation. 

Dr. Butler also worked closely with IDSA during the mpox and H5N1 influenza emergencies, continuing the practice of weekly calls. For his leadership at CDC during multiple public health emergencies, his collaborative approach to emergency response and his efforts to bring the expertise of IDSA and its members into CDC’s decision-making at critical times, the Society is proud to honor Dr. Butler with a 2025 Society Citation Award. 

Ravi Jhaveri, MD, FIDSA — division head for pediatric infectious diseases at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and professor of pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine — has served a foundational role in launching IDSA’s Leadership Institute, a program that empowers ID and HIV practitioners to develop into future leaders. 

Serving first as vice chair and then chair of the Leadership Institute Subcommittee, Dr. Jhaveri has helped build a sustainable leadership pipeline for ID and HIV specialists. In collaboration with Victoria Fraser, MD, FIDSA, founding chair, and the steering committee, Dr. Jhaveri helped establish the Leadership Institute’s initial structure and curriculum. Within eight months, they conducted a comprehensive needs assessment, identified expert facilitators and introduced a robust learning experience for mid- and senior-career physicians. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Jhaveri worked to redesign the program to meet evolving needs, pivoting first to a fully virtual format and later to a hybrid model of learning to ensure continuity, accessibility and relevance for participants.

Dr. Jhaveri also helped create Rising Leaders, an online leadership development program at IDSA geared toward early-career ID and HIV health care professionals, to broaden the Society’s leadership development reach. 

For his outstanding service to IDSA and transformative guidance in advancing leadership development for the ID community, IDSA is pleased to honor Dr. Jhaveri with a Society Citation Award. 

Florence Momplaisir, MD, MSHP — associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and senior fellow of the Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics — has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities and ensuring equitable care through innovative approaches.

Appointed as the founding director of the Implementation Science Core at the Penn Center for AIDS Research, Dr. Momplaisir has worked alongside the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to identify gaps in HIV care and foster new partnerships between academic researchers and public health teams. She has called attention to the public health consequences of restricting syringe exchange programs and advocated for harm reduction strategies.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Momplaisir emerged as a key figure in addressing vaccine hesitancy, particularly within communities of color in Philadelphia. She traveled to community spaces to offer vaccine education and distribution. She published research examining drivers of vaccine hesitancy and op-eds on the historical roots of medical mistrust and the need for community-based, science-driven solutions. 

For her leadership, scholarship, community engagement and tireless advancement of health equity, IDSA is delighted to recognize Dr. Momplaisir with a 2025 Society Citation Award. 

For full award descriptions, recipient biographies and information about other awards given to Society members this year, please visit the IDSA website. 

About IDSA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America is a global community of 13,000 clinicians, scientists and public health experts working together to solve humanity’s smallest and greatest challenges, from tiny microbes to global outbreaks. Rooted in science, committed to health equity and driven by curiosity, our compassionate and knowledgeable members safeguard the health of individuals, our communities and the world by advancing the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Visit idsociety.org to learn more.