John B. Robbins

Who is John B. Robbins?

Dr. John Bennett Robbins M.D. is a senior investigator at the National Institutes of Health, best known for his development of the vaccine against bacterial meningitis with his colleague Dr. Rachel Schneerson M.D.

Bacterial meningitis is the leading cause of acquired mental retardation in children.

Dr. Robbins is a recipient of the 1996 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, the Pasteur Award from the World Health Organization and the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal in 2001 which he received for playing a major role in the development of Hib conjugate vaccine that is now used throughout the world and has led to a dramatic decline in the number of infants and children suffering from meningitis and other systematic infections such as osteomyelitis and pneumonia. He is also a member of the National Academy of Science.