Scientist Battles Deadly Diseases and Anti-Vaccine Misinformation to Protect Global Health

For the past four decades, Dr. Peter Jay Hotez, a professor of pediatrics and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, has been at the forefront of the fight against neglected tropical diseases. These debilitating and deadly illnesses affect millions around the world, but have received less attention from pharmaceutical companies and research institutions due to their regional prevalence.

Through his tireless research and advocacy, Hotez has helped provide treatment for half a billion people suffering from these neglected diseases. However, as he has worked to stem the spread of disease globally, he has faced a new, unexpected challenge - the virulent spread of misinformation about vaccines.

In 2018, Hotez published a book debunking the anti-vaccine movement, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, he publicly refuted pandemic-related misinformation. Despite facing character attacks, death threats, and stalking from anti-vaxxers and science deniers, Hotez remains committed to his mission, believing that educating the public is as crucial as developing vaccines.

Hotez's work has taken him from his childhood fascination with microorganisms to leading an innovative nonprofit partnership that develops vaccines. In 2011, he made the decision to move his lab from Washington, D.C. to Houston, where he could leverage the resources of the vast Texas Medical Center. This move also brought him to the epicenter of the nation's anti-vaccine movement, which he has confronted head-on.