David Morens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David M. Morens is an American physician-scientist, medical historian and former Senior Advisor to the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).[1] A career officer in the United States Public Health Service, he has investigated outbreaks from Ebola and Lassa fever to COVID-19 and publishes widely on viral pathogenesis and the history of pandemics.[2][3][4] In 2026, he was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly concealing federal records during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6]
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Infectious diseases
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1976–1982)
- University of Hawaii, Manoa (1982–1998)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1998–2025)
David Morens | |
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| Born | 1947 (age 78–79) United States |
| Education | University of Michigan (BA, MD) |
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Early life and education
Morens earned an A.B. in psychology (1969) and an M.D. (1973) from the University of Michigan.[1] He completed pediatrics residency at the UCSF School of Medicine and fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases, becoming board-certified in Pediatrics (1978) and Preventive Medicine (1980).[3]
Career
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1976 – 1982)
Commissioned into the Epidemic Intelligence Service, Morens set up national surveillance for Reye syndrome and Kawasaki disease and co-discovered the Snow Mountain strain of norovirus.[3] Stationed in Sierra Leone from 1979 to 1981, he ran clinical trials of ribavirin for Lassa fever and led epidemiologic field studies.[1] He later headed CDC's Respiratory & Special Pathogens Branch and directed the laboratory arm of the agency's first national AIDS case-control study.[3]
University of Hawaiʻi (1982 – 1998)
At the University of Hawaiʻi, Morens was Professor of Tropical Medicine, Chair of Epidemiology, and laboratory director of dengue-virus projects funded by WHO and NIH. His group developed a BHK-21 neutralization assay still used for flaviviruses.[7] During this period he also published historical analyses of epidemics ranging from the Plague of Athens to 20th-century influenza.[8]
NIAID (1998 – 2025)
From 1998 to 2025, Morens advised successive NIAID directors on emerging-disease policy and pandemic preparedness.[2] He co-authored influential papers advocating universal coronavirus vaccines[9] and conducted research on viral host-switching and disease pathogenesis in NIAID's Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Laboratory.[1]
Selected works
- Morens, D.M.; Fauci, A.S. (2007). "The 1918 influenza pandemic: insights for the 21st century". Journal of Infectious Diseases. 195 (7): 1018–1028. doi:10.1086/511989. PMID 17330793.
- Morens, D.M.; Taubenberger, J.K. (2006). "1918 Influenza: the mother of all pandemics". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 12 (1): 15–22. doi:10.3201/eid1209.05-0979. PMC 3291398. PMID 16494711.
- McCormick, J.B.; Morens, D.M. (1986). "Clinical observations and virologic studies of patients with Lassa fever treated with ribavirin". Journal of Infectious Diseases. 155 (3): 445–455. doi:10.1093/infdis/155.3.445. PMID 4026390.
Professional service and honors
- President, American Epidemiological Society (2008–2009)[10]
- Chair, American Committee on Arthropod-Borne & Zoonotic Viruses (1999–2001)[11]
- Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America and American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene[12]
- Recipient, U.S. Public Health Service Meritorious & Outstanding Service Medals; DHHS Distinguished Service Award[1]