African Swine Fever Researcher Honored with Flemming Award
Twelve outstanding public servants representing several federal agencies will be honored at the 73rd annual Arthur S. Flemming Awards for performing outstanding service in the fields of applied science and engineering, basic science, leadership and management, legal achievement and social science.
World-renowned African swine fever (ASF) researcher Douglas Gladue of USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will be recognized by the Arthur S. Flemming Commission, in partnership with the George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration, for his work in early June.
Gladue expedited development of the first safe and effective vaccine against ASF virus, the release said. ASF is a highly contagious, lethal viral disease that causes devastating losses and is responsible for the destruction of 50% of the swine herd in China alone. While not yet in the United States, an outbreak of ASF could cripple the U.S. pork industry.
"Dr. Gladue prioritized efforts to speed up development of an ASF vaccine by developing a bioinformatic pipeline to develop a vaccine. Despite requiring all initial work to be performed in a high- containment laboratory, Dr. Gladue was able to create a highly effective and safe vaccine for ASF and transfer this technology to a commercial partner, greatly increasing our odds of ending the ASF pandemic," the release said.
He also developed a diagnostic cell line for ASF virus that does not require fresh swine cells. This advancement has revolutionized diagnostics in laboratories worldwide and has greatly enhanced ASF diagnostic capacity and animal wellbeing.
Established in 1948, the award is named after Arthur Sherwood Flemming, a distinguished government official who served seven presidential administrations of both parties, most notably as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Dwight Eisenhower. He was a two-time recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, first from President Eisenhower in 1957 and then from President Bill Clinton in 1994, two years before his death.
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