Washington State University professor Felix Lankester has been elected as an international member to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
Lankester, a veterinarian and professor in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Paul G. Allen Schol for Global Health and director of Rabies Free Africa, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine for his contributions to One Health, an approach to preventing disease that recognizes the interconnected health of people, animals and the environment. Through innovations in vaccine storage, delivery, and community-based vaccination programs, his work has helped transform rabies control in low-income countries and reduce the disease’s burden on both human and animal health.
“Felix’s election to the National Academy of Medicine reflects the extraordinary impact of his work and his unwavering commitment to improving lives around the world,” said Dori Borjesson, dean of the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. “His leadership in One Health and global health highlights the deep interconnection between human health and animal health to help communities prevent and control deadly diseases, and we are incredibly proud to see his contributions recognized at this level.”
Founded in 1970, the National Academy of Medicine is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The organization provides independent, evidence-based guidance on critical issues in health, medicine and science, and election recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to advancing human health.
“Being elected to the National Academy is a tremendous honor, and I am grateful for the opportunity to join such an esteemed membership,” Lankester said. “I feel it is a reflection, not just of me, but of the team of scientists in East Africa and elsewhere whom I have been privileged to work with and who have supported me on this global/One Health journey of discovery, and I am honored to represent the acknowledgement of our shared work at the academy.”
Based in Tanzania, Lankester helped change the paradigm for rabies control in low-income countries. He led clinical trials that established rabies vaccine thermostability, developed off-the-grid vaccine storage methods, and implemented community-based and community-led vaccination programs that dramatically reduced rabies incidence in the Mara region. His research helped quantify the impact of mass dog vaccination campaigns on human health and informed global investments in rabies prevention, while his interdisciplinary work has also addressed emerging viral diseases and advanced the training of future African public health and research leaders.
Lankester was nominated by Guy Palmer, Regents Professor and senior director of global health in the Allen School, and Sarah Cleaveland, a professor at Glasgow University.
“Felix really embodies scientific innovation in addressing seemingly intractable challenges and combines this innovation with rigorous evaluation of what works and what doesn’t,” Palmer said. “While his work and commitment to eliminating human deaths due to rabies in low-income countries stands out, he has used the same deliberative approach to other global health challenges, including emerging and endemic infectious diseases. Election to the National Academy of Medicine is not only honorific but carries with it a commitment to serve and help meet the academy’s goal of improving health for everyone, everywhere –throughout his career Felix has shown he is committed to this mission.”
