K-State professor elected to prestigious National Academy of Medicine
Monday, Oct. 21, 2024
Jürgen A. Richt, regents distinguished professor, university distinguished professor in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, and Kansas Bioscience Authority eminent scholar in K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, has been elected a member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine. | Download this photo.
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University's Jürgen A. Richt has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.
Richt is a regents distinguished professor, a university distinguished professor in diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, and a Kansas Bioscience Authority eminent scholar in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He is among the 90 regular members and 10 international members elected this year to the academy, which provides policymakers, professionals, business leaders and the public with independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on issues related to health and the biomedical sciences.
New academy members are selected each year from a list of nominees. Members are chosen based on their professional qualifications and accomplishments as shown through their publications and research grants.
Richt was elected for "being a pioneer in infectious diseases of 'One Health' importance." According to the academy announcement, his prolific basic and translational research findings on emerging pathogens of livestock, wildlife and humans are unique and highly significant for animal and public health, and his biocontainment expertise is crucial for the nation's bio- and agro-terrorism defense capacities.
"We are incredibly proud of Dr. Richt for this remarkable accomplishment," said Hans Coetzee, interim vice president for research. "Being selected to join the National Academy of Medicine is a testament to his outstanding contributions to the field and his dedication to advancing medical science and improving healthcare. We are excited to see Juergen continue to innovate and inspire as a member of this prestigious institution."
Richt came to K-State in 2008, and in 2010, he became director of the Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases, or CEEZAD. In 2020, he became director of the National Institutes of Health Center on Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, or CEZID.
As founding director of CEEZAD and CEZID, Richt supports the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in protecting public health and U.S. agricultural systems from devastating animal and zoonotic diseases.
He is editor-in-chief for Virus Genes and serves on editorial boards for other scientific journals, among them Advances in Virus Research, Emerging Microbes and Infections, and Animal Diseases. He has edited several books, obtained several patents, published more than 340 peer-reviewed manuscripts and raised more than $73 million in grants for veterinary research.
"This is a tremendous honor, and one which I will strive in my future work to live up to," Richt said. "I accept it as an outgrowth of a lifetime of commitment to the study of veterinary science and with full recognition of the part played by my numerous colleagues and collaborators in any success I may have achieved."
Richt's work on high-consequence pathogens with zoonotic and transboundary potential has led to strategies to identify, control and eradicate such agents. His basic and applied research includes studies on animal influenza viruses — swine, bat and avian — and animal prion diseases, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Rift Valley Fever virus, African Swine fever virus, mpox virus, SARS-CoV-2 and Borna Disease virus.
Richt established the first reverse genetics system for the swine influenza virus and made seminal contributions to the development of a modified live SIV vaccine. He has also contributed to the understanding of the virulence of the reconstructed 1918 Spanish flu virus in livestock.
Presently, Richt's lab is developing knock-out pigs that are less susceptible to SIV infections using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to protect both animal and human health. He also developed a mass-applicable Newcastle Disease virus-vectored vaccine for highly pathogenic avian influenza.
In the past few years, he has worked on the establishment of preclinical animal models for SARS-CoV-2 to determine the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics as well as the susceptibility of livestock species to the mpox virus.
In 2011, Richt received the Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence. In 2018, he was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the 2021 Excellence in Research Award from the American Academy of Veterinary Medical Colleges, and that same year, he was named winner of the Dolph Simons Award for Biomedical Research by the University of Kansas. He is an extraordinary professor at the University of Pretoria and has received an A rating from the National Research Foundation of South Africa.
Richt received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Munich and a Ph.D. in virology and immunology from the University of Giessen, both in Germany. After coming to the United States in 1989, he completed three years of postdoctoral/residency studies at Johns Hopkins University and later served for eight years as a veterinary medical officer at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa.
"We are thrilled Dr. Richt will be inducted into the National Academy of Medicine," said Bonnie Rush, Hodes family dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. "Dr. Richt's talent and accomplishments are indisputable. He has continually demonstrated his ability to deliver relevant answers in response to emerging pathogens with national and global significance. However, his life's work is more than a tally of publications and research awards. His legacy lies in his commitment to training a generation of scientists with the expertise and inclination to pursue solutions for the most significant pathogens on the planet."
