D.A. Henderson Award

The D.A. Henderson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Health recognizes a lifetime of achievement in public health. Dr. Henderson’s role in leading the successful eradication of smallpox will stand forever as a shining example of the profound impact that infectious diseases physicians and scientists can have in preventing disease and relieving human suffering. By naming this award in his honor, we hope to inspire others to become champions for public health throughout the world.

D.A. Henderson (1928-2016) was an American physician, epidemiologist and public health expert. He is widely regarded as a hero in the global eradication of smallpox, leading the World Health Organization’s smallpox eradication campaign from 1966 to 1977. Henderson’s strategic leadership and tireless efforts resulted in the successful eradication of smallpox, marking one of the greatest achievements in public health history.

2026 D.A. Henderson Awardee

Daniel B. Jernigan, MD, MPH 

Daniel B. Jernigan, MD, MPH, is an internationally recognized and influential public health leader with extensive contributions in medical epidemiology, complex outbreak response and infectious diseases prevention. During a 31-year career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he fundamentally strengthened the nation’s ability to detect, understand, and respond to existing and emerging pathogens. Dr. Jernigan exemplifies decisive yet humble leadership grounded in personal integrity. 

Currently a contributing scholar at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Jernigan spent more than three decades at CDC, most recently as director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. In that role, Dr. Jernigan was responsible for a broad portfolio of ID threats, including viral hemorrhagic fevers and other high-consequence pathogens and infections. He oversaw innovative programs for genomic sequencing and for supporting state health departments. He also spent 15 years in leadership at CDC’s Influenza Division, serving as director for six years. 

The author of over 160 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, Dr. Jernigan has supervised outbreak investigations of viral, bacterial and fungal infections associated with emerging and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. He led multiple epidemiology and surveillance teams for national and international responses, including the 2001 bioterrorism-related anthrax emergency, 2002 emergence of West Nile virus, 2003 SARS epidemic, 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee health response, 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, 2013 MERS investigation, 2014-2015 Ebola global epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Jernigan began his career at CDC in the Epidemic Intelligence Service in 1994, working on the prevention and control of bacterial respiratory pathogens. From 1996 to 1999, he worked for CDC at the Washington State Health Department as a medical epidemiologist and coordinator of national initiatives to improve surveillance for emerging infectious diseases. He became chief of the Epidemiology Section in CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion in 2001. 

Throughout his career, Dr. Jernigan has advocated for collaboration between public health and the clinical ID communities. He has led transformative advances in surveillance, laboratory science and pandemic preparedness, including the Data Modernization Initiative, which moved CDC from fragmented, legacy systems toward more integrated, real-time data capabilities. 

Dr. Jernigan has received multiple awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the George Washington Award for Patriotic Achievement and the prestigious Service to  America Medal. 

Upon completing 23 years of service in 2019, Dr. Jernigan retired as a captain from the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. He continued working at CDC in the civil service until 2025, when he resigned in protest of increasing political interference in the agency’s scientific work. 

IDSA is proud to present Dr. Jernigan the 2026 D.A. Henderson Award for his scientific rigor, visionary leadership, dedicated service and impressive contributions toward improving public health.