91Â鶹¾«Æ·Announces Honorees for 2026 Awards and Prize Program
Washington, D.C.—91Â鶹¾«Æ· (ASM) announced the recipients of its 2026 Awards and Prize Program. The awards recognize leading scientists and researchers in the field for their professional accomplishments and contributions to research, education and leadership.
The American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group and scientific think tank within ASM, manages a program of awards and a prize that highlights outstanding science at every career level and subdiscipline of the microbial sciences. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee from a competitive, peer-nominated list of candidates.
“The 91Â鶹¾«Æ·Awards and Prize Program celebrates the groundbreaking research and dedication that drive microbiology forward,” said 91Â鶹¾«Æ·CEO Stefano Bertuzzi. “Receiving one of these awards is a meaningful recognition of a scientist’s impact and serves as an inspiration for future leaders in our field.”
The 2026 recipients are:
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Lifetime Achievement Award: Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., UC Berkeley.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Alice C. Evans Award for Advancement of Women: Mary Anne Amalaradjou, Ph.D., University of Connecticut.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Applied and Biotechnological Research: Moon Nahm, M.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Basic Research: Kim Orth, Ph.D., UT Southwestern.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Early Career Applied and Biotechnological Research: Jordan Bisanz, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Early Career Basic Research: Mariana Byndloss, DVM, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Early Career Clinical Microbiology Research: Kyle Rodino, Ph.D., D(ABMM), The University of Pennsylvania.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Early Career Environmental Research: Erica Majumder, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Environmental Research: Matthew Sullivan, Ph.D., The Ohio State University.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Graduate Education: Michael Ibba, Ph.D., Chapman University.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Research or Leadership in Clinical Microbiology: Amy Mathers, M.D., D(ABMM), University of Virginia.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Award for Service: Michael Loeffelholz, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Cepheid.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Carski Award for Undergraduate Education: Ann Stevens, Ph.D., Virginia Tech.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·D.C. White Award for Interdisciplinary Research: Marvin Whiteley, Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Elizabeth O. King Lecturer Award: Carey-Ann Burnham, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Pattern Bioscience.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Honorary Diversity Lecturer Award: Michael D. L. Johnson, Ph.D., The University of Arizona.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Microbiome Data Prize: Joao Xavier, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Moselio Schaechter Award in Recognition of a Developing–Country Microbiologist: Jayanthi Shastri, M.D., Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·Scherago-Rubin Award for Clinical Microbiology: Idzi Potters, B.S., Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ·William A. Hinton Award for Advancement of a Diverse Community of Microbiologists: Shazia Hakim, Ph.D., Diné College.
Learn more about 91Â鶹¾«Æ·awards and view past recipients on the Awards and Prize Program page. The 2026 91Â鶹¾«Æ·Awards and Prize Program is sponsored by the 91Â鶹¾«Æ·Corporate Council. The 2026 Microbiome Data Prize is partially supported by the  The Elizabeth O. King Lecturer Award is supported by the New York Community Trust-Audrey Rheinstrom and Anne Blevins Fund.
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91Â鶹¾«Æ· is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of over 37,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. 
91Â鶹¾«Æ·advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, 91Â鶹¾«Æ·promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to all audiences.
