David M. Morens is an American physician-scientist, medical historian and Senior Advisor to the Director of the

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID's mis ...

(NIAID). A career officer in the

United States Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services which manages public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The assistant s ...

, he has investigated outbreaks from Ebola and Lassa fever to COVID-19 and publishes widely on viral pathogenesis and the history of pandemics.

Early life and education

Morens earned an A.B. in psychology (1969) and an M.D. (1973) from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. He completed pediatrics residency at the

UCSF School of Medicine The UCSF School of Medicine is a multisite medical school of the University of California, San Francisco, with a historical campus located at the base of Mount Sutro on the Parnassus Heights campus in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1864 b ...

and fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases, becoming board-certified in Pediatrics (1978) and Preventive Medicine (1980).

Career

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1976 – 1982)

Commissioned into the

Epidemic Intelligence Service The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a program of the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The modern EIS is a two-year, hands-on post-doctoral training program in epidemiology, with a focus on field work. Hist ...

, Morens set up national surveillance for Reye syndrome and Kawasaki disease and co-discovered the Snow Mountain strain of

norovirus Norovirus, also known as Norwalk virus and sometimes referred to as the winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infection is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever or headaches may ...

. Stationed in Sierra Leone from 1979 to 1981, he ran clinical trials of ribavirin for

Lassa fever Lassa fever, also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever, is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. Many of those infected by the virus asymptomatic, do not develop symptoms. When symptoms occur they typically include fever, wea ...

and led epidemiologic field studies. He later headed CDC’s Respiratory & Special Pathogens Branch and directed the laboratory arm of the agency’s first national AIDS case-control study.

University of Hawaiʻi (1982 – 1998)

At the

University of Hawaiʻi The University of Hawaiʻi System is a public college and university system in Hawaii. The system confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven community colleges, an employment training center, ...

, Morens was Professor of Tropical Medicine, Chair of Epidemiology, and laboratory director of dengue-virus projects funded by WHO and NIH. His group developed a BHK-21 neutralization assay still used for

flavivirus ''Flavivirus'', renamed ''Orthoflavivirus'' in 2023, is a genus of positive-strand RNA viruses in the family ''Flaviviridae''. The genus includes the West Nile virus, dengue virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus, Zika viru ...

es. During this period he also published historical analyses of epidemics ranging from the Plague of Athens to 20th-century influenza.

NIAID (1998 – present)

Since 1998 Morens has advised successive NIAID directors on emerging-disease policy and pandemic preparedness. He co-authored influential papers advocating universal coronavirus vaccines and continues research on viral host-switching and disease pathogenesis in NIAID’s Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Laboratory.

Selected works

* * *

Professional service and honors

* President,

American Epidemiological Society The American Epidemiological Society is an American honorary society dedicated to epidemiology. It was established in 1927, and has held annual meetings since 1968. It is the oldest epidemiology organization in the United States. Past members of the ...

(2008–2009) * Chair, American Committee on Arthropod-Borne & Zoonotic Viruses (1999–2001) * Fellow,

Infectious Diseases Society of America The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a medical association representing physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. It was founded in 1963 and is based in Arlington, Virginia. ...

and

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) is an Arlington, Virginia-based non-profit organization of scientists, clinicians, students and program professionals whose longstanding mission is to promote global health through the ...

* Recipient, U.S. Public Health Service Meritorious & Outstanding Service Medals; DHHS Distinguished Service Award

References

External links

*
ReachMD biography
{{Authority control American virologists 1947 births University of Michigan Medical School alumni University of Hawaiʻi faculty