Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

98 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION E ssential to our survival in the modern world, vaccinations are among the most innovative forms of preventative medicine. When properly distributed to a population, they have been shown to severely reduce the spread of an infectious disease in a form of indirect protection commonly known as herd immunity. In some cases, vaccinations have achieved complete eradication of a deadly pathogen from society. Given their wide availability, it can be easy to take their existence for granted. Yet, these highly effective vaccines would not be available without the hard work of epidemiologists like Dr. Donald E. Craven, who, among other accomplishments, was part of the team that developed a vaccine against meningococcal meningitis in the 1970s. This vaccine has since been improved upon and continues to be used throughout the world. Even at a young age, Dr. Craven was driven by his desire to make a difference in the world. He looked up to his older brother, who became a physician, and chose to follow in his footsteps. After graduating from Albany Medical College in 1970, Dr. Craven completed several years of additional training before launching a career in medical research. He was especially interested in infectious diseases, which led to his involvement with various programs at the National Institutes of Health. It was during this time that he assumed the role of epidemiologist with Boston City Hospital and began serving as an educator with the Boston University School of Medicine. In 1979, he was tasked with working on one of the first AIDS cases, which he considers to be among the most memorable experiences of his career. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Dr. Craven was involved with the AIDS Action Committee, the Centers for Disease Control, Hospital Infection Control Practices, and the Society of Health Care Epidemiologists. More recently, he served as chairman of the Center for Infectious Diseases and Prevention at Lahey Clinic Medical Center and as a professor of medicine at Tufts University from 2001 until his retirement from academia. He is a noted author of more than 200 articles on hospital epidemiology and AIDS published in various medical journals. DONALD E. CRAVEN, MD PROFESSOR EMERITUS Lahey Clinic Medical Center Wellesley, MA