PIDS Presents the 2024 Walter T. Hughes Distinguished Physician Award to Pablo Sánchez

The award is given in recognition of a pediatrician with a distinguished career in pediatric infectious diseases marked by significant contributions in infectious diseases

Pablo J. Sánchez, MD, FPIDS, a renowned mentor, educator and researcher into the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and perinatal infections is the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society’s Walter T. Hughes Distinguished Physician Award honoree for 2024. The award, now in its third year under the name of the first PIDS president, Walter T. Hughes, recognizes a pediatrician with a distinguished career in pediatric infectious diseases that is marked by significant contributions to the field. Dr. Sánchez, like Dr. Hughes before him, has an enduring record of influence and service to the specialty and society.

The award was presented during the Opening Plenary of IDWeek (October 16-19), the premier scientific meeting for infectious diseases professionals, in Los Angeles, CA. Additional society awards and recognitions took place during Thursday evening’s PIDS Foundation Annual Dinner and the PIDS Membership Meeting on Friday afternoon.

The principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at The Research Institute and a professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Sánchez is a board-certified neonatologist and pediatric infectious diseases specialist, and the director of Clinical and Translational Research in Neonatology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is regarded as a leading expert in congenital syphilis, working on the issue nationally with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and internationally with the World Health Organization and Gates Foundation. In addition, he is currently serving on the NICHD Pediatrics Subcommittee Grant Review Panel.

“We are thrilled to recognize the exceptional contributions to pediatric infectious diseases of Dr. Sánchez and present him with the Hughes Award,” said PIDS president Bill Steinbach, MD, FPIDS. “Dr. Sánchez’s achievements with congenital syphilis and CMV, as well as his commitment to sharing his knowledge with colleagues and mentees, are unparalleled. I am proud to belong to a society with such a prominent pediatrician, acclaimed clinician, and generous educator as this year’s Walter T. Hughes Distinguished Physician, Pablo Sánchez.”

Dr. Sánchez has published more than 300 manuscripts that range from first author clinical publications to large national multicenter trials that have fundamentally changed how we manage neonatal infections, including syphilis, CMV and HSV disease. The diversity of his research is unmatched and has been essential in advancing the field of pediatric infectious diseases. His investigations and influence extend beyond neonatal pathogens, to include important prevention studies for RSV and pioneering work in antimicrobial stewardship.

Dr. Sánchez earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, his neonatology fellowship at Babies Hospital Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, and his pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

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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.