In recognition of its role in the successful development of the first safe, effective polio vaccine, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has designated the University of Pittsburgh its 21st “Milestones in Microbiology” site. The school celebrated the designation with a special Grand Rounds event and Milestones plaque unveiling on World Polio Day, Oct. 24, at the School of Public Health.
“This prestigious honor celebrates the groundbreaking work of Jonas Salk and his team at the University of Pittsburgh’s Virus Research Laboratory,” Vaughn Cooper, PhD, ASM president-elect, said in presenting the award. “These designations highlight achievements that not only profoundly impact scientific inquiry and broaden our understanding of microbiology but also inspire future generations to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.”
Cooper and other speakers at the event made sure to credit the many individuals who contributed to the vaccine’s success, among them Salk team members Julius Younger, ScD, whose portrait hangs with those of other Pitt luminaries in the Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower building; research associates Elsie Ward, Maj. Byron Bennett and James Lewis, and over 150 other University of Pittsburgh employees as well as millions of school children and their parents who took part in nationwide clinical trials of the vaccine.
Salk joined Pitt’s faculty in 1947 primarily to study influenza. However, the focus soon changed to polio, which was highly feared thanks to frequent epidemics among children. A 1952 outbreak—the worst recorded in the United States— left 3,000 dead and 58,000 permanently disabled. Worldwide, polio killed or paralyzed more than 500,000 people a year.
Those who survived faced lifelong consequences due to the extent of their paralysis. Affected limbs required braces, crutches, or wheelchairs. Devices like the iron long were invented for those who needed help to breathe.
With rising epidemics, little effective treatment and no cure, the need for a vaccine was urgent.
The April 12, 1955, announcement that the Salk team’s killed-virus vaccine was proven to be effective was met with nationwide jubilation and made headlines around the world. The Fifth Avenue entrance to Pitt Public Health hosts a permanent exhibit dedicated to the team’s success. The exhibit is made up of artifacts donated by the Salk family.
“I want to take a moment to share special recognition of Juli Younger, who not only founded my department but also invented numerous key methods and approaches necessary for the polio vaccine that became foundational to the field of virology,” said Cooper, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics in Pitt’s School of Medicine. “I also want to acknowledge Jessie Wright, MD, director of physical medicine at what is now the Watson Institute, who also played a key role, alongside a devoted network of laboratory researchers, technicians, veterinary staff, facilities workers, nurses, clinicians and administrators—all of whom were instrumental to the vaccine’s success.”
In addition to Cooper, other speakers during the special event included Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, Pitt Public Health dean and Jonas Salk Professor in Population Health; Donald Burke, MD, dean emeritus; Peter Salk, MD, president, Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation; and W. Paul Duprex, PhD, director, University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research, and Jay Brooks, polio vaccine volunteer.
“The impact of this work is global,” said Lichtveld, going on to note that the Salk team’s success “is not just about the vaccine but about the vision that is using science to serve humanity.”
-Michele Dula Baum