Gregory A. Poland, M.D., is a world-renowned physician-scientist* who currently serves as founding director of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group (VRG) — a state-of-the-art research group and laboratory that seeks to understand genetic drivers of viral vaccine response and the application of systems biology approaches to develop novel vaccines against emerging pathogens critical to public health.

The Poland lab developed the field of viral vaccine immunogenetics, the immune response network theory, the field of vaccinomics and adversomics, as well as mass spectrometry-based identification and utilization of peptide-based vaccine candidates.

Dr. Poland has been awarded over $200 million in competitive extramural research funding.

*CURRENT TITLES

• Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Mayo Clinic;

• Distinguished Investigator of Mayo Clinic;

• Editor-in-Chief of the journal Vaccine;

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London).

AWARDS/FORMER POSITIONS

• Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence;

• Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, the highest civilian award given by the Department of Defense;

• Chairman/member of every US federal committee involved in vaccine decision-making, where he advocated for and successfully persuaded the CDC to recommend annual influenza vaccine for all Americans from 6 months of age and older, and was the initial and primary advocate for requiring influenza immunization for all health care providers;

• (2012) Selected on of the Top 25 vaccine influencers in the world  by Terrapin International survey;

• (2006) President of the Defense Health Board and appointed by President George W. Bush, serving two terms;

• President of the Department of Defense’s Defense Health Board and the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board;

• Member of Infectious Diseases Society of America Taskforce on Pandemic Influenza;

• Chairman of the American College of Physicians’ Adult Immunization Advisory Board.

Dr. Poland has published over 650 professional papers and/or book chapters. He received his medical degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois, and completed his residency and advanced post-graduate work at the University of Minnesota.