Dr. R. Palmer Beasley

Dr.R.Palmer Beasley, an American, was chosen to receive the Award in this field for his well-recognized contribution to the understanding of the pathogenesis of HBV infection. This is a major viral infection of the liver in hundreds of millions of people in different parts of the world. Dr.Beasley demonstrated the importance of the vertical transmission of hepatitis B viral infection, the association between the chronic hepatitis B viral infection and the carrier state, toward the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, and the other issues relating to the immunization of neonates with hepatitis B vaccine. This knowledge has contributed greatly to the use of hepatitis B vaccine for the prevention of hepatitis B infection and the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma.