Two investigators from the Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health (CCEPH) were honored for their contributions to vaccine safety research. Awards were presented at the annual meeting for the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) in November 2015. VSD is a collaborative project between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and nine health care organizations, including Marshfield Clinic Health System.
James Donahue, DVM, PhD was the recipient of the Margarette Kolczak Award for outstanding contributions in biostatistics and epidemiology in the field of vaccine safety. Dr. Donahue has been part of the Marshfield VSD team for over 12 years, has authored or coauthored over a dozen publications related to vaccine safety, and has been a key contributor to many VSD studies. He was recognized for his leadership and careful analysis of results for the VSD studies evaluating spontaneous abortion and influenza vaccine.
Edward Belongia, MD was the recipient for the S. Michael Marcy Award for outstanding clinical research and policy contributions in the field of vaccine safety. Dr. Belongia has been the Marshfield Principal Investigator for VSD since 2001 and has authored or coauthored more than 30 publications related to vaccine safety. He also serves on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices evaluating evidence and providing guidance for national vaccine policy.
“It’s a real honor to be the first recipient of this award in honor of Dr. Mike Marcy, who passed away in 2014,” says Dr. Belongia. “Mike was an outstanding researcher and clinician at UCLA who made major contributions to infectious disease policy and education in the United States. He was a strong advocate for vaccine safety research, and he was a regular attendee at our VSD investigator meetings for many years. Mike was a great role model and friend, and I am grateful for this award and the opportunity to honor his legacy.”