Betsy C. Herold, MD, FPIDS, a groundbreaking researcher, is the recipient of the 2021 Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) Caroline B. Hall Lectureship Award. Presented annually, the award highlights innovative clinical and translational research on infectious diseases of children in either the inpatient or outpatient setting, focused on the epidemiology, diagnosis, management, prevention and treatment of these infections. The award is dedicated to and honors Dr. Hall, a world-renowned pediatrician, teacher, researcher and a founding member of PIDS.
The honor was presented during the virtual IDWeek (September 29 – October 3, 2021), the premier scientific meeting for infectious diseases professionals. Dr. Herold’s lecture, “Serendipity in Science: A Paradigm Challenging Vaccine for HSV and What It May Teach Us About SARS-CoV-2,” addressed the development of a vaccine against herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections.
Dr. Herold is a professor of pediatrics, microbiology-immunology, and obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, where she also serves as chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease and vice chair for research in pediatrics. She directs a translational research program focused on the interactions between viruses and their hosts, and, using that knowledge, develops novel treatment and prevention strategies.
Her body of scientific work has advanced our understanding of how HSV enters cells and initiates infection and the specific immune responses that control or prevent infection. Dr. Herold has developed a unique candidate vaccine for the prevention of HSV infections, which is being advanced for phase I clinical trials in humans.
“PIDS is delighted to honor Dr. Herold with this award in recognition of her innovative research, which might someday eliminate much of the suffering caused by HSV infections,” said PIDS President Kristina Bryant, MD, FPIDS.
The author of 182 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 26 invited reviews or chapters, Dr. Herold helped establish and is co-chair of the PIDS Transplant Research Network, which supports and promotes projects to prevent and treat infectious diseases among child transplant recipients. She has mentored numerous students, residents and postdoctoral fellows.
Dr. Herold earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, where she also served as chief resident and later pursued postdoctoral fellowships in pediatric infectious diseases and virology.
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About PIDS
PIDS membership encompasses leaders across the global scientific and public health spectrum, including clinical care, advocacy, academics, government, and the pharmaceutical industry. From fellowship training to continuing medical education, research, regulatory issues and guideline development, PIDS members are the core professionals advocating for the improved health of children with infectious diseases both nationally and around the world, participating in critical public health and medical professional advisory committees that determine the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, immunization practices in children, and the education of pediatricians. For more information, visit http://www.pids.org.
Improving the health of children worldwide through philanthropic support of scientific and educational programs.
