Washington, D.C.-The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) announced the recipients of its 2026 Awards and Prize Program. The awards recognize leading scientists and researchers in the field for their professional accomplishments and contributions to research, education and leadership.
The American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group and scientific think tank within ASM, manages a program of awards and a prize that highlights outstanding science at every career level and subdiscipline of the microbial sciences. Recipients are chosen by a selection committee from a competitive, peer-nominated list of candidates.
"The ASM Awards and Prize Program celebrates the groundbreaking research and dedication that drive microbiology forward," said ASM CEO Stefano Bertuzzi. "Receiving one of these awards is a meaningful recognition of a scientist's impact and serves as an inspiration for future leaders in our field."
The 2026 recipients are:
ASM Lifetime Achievement Award: Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., UC Berkeley.
ASM Alice C. Evans Award for Advancement of Women: Mary Anne Amalaradjou, Ph.D., University of Connecticut.
ASM Award for Applied and Biotechnological Research: Moon Nahm, M.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham.
ASM Award for Basic Research: Kim Orth, Ph.D., UT Southwestern.
ASM Award for Early Career Applied and Biotechnological Research: Jordan Bisanz, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University.
ASM Award for Early Career Basic Research: Mariana Byndloss, DVM, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University.
ASM Award for Early Career Clinical Microbiology Research: Kyle Rodino, Ph.D., D(ABMM), The University of Pennsylvania.
ASM Award for Early Career Environmental Research: Erica Majumder, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison.
ASM Award for Environmental Research: Matthew Sullivan, Ph.D., The Ohio State University.
ASM Award for Graduate Education: Michael Ibba, Ph.D., Chapman University.
ASM Award for Research or Leadership in Clinical Microbiology: Amy Mathers, M.D., D(ABMM), University of Virginia.
ASM Award for Service: Michael Loeffelholz, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Cepheid.
ASM Carski Award for Undergraduate Education: Ann Stevens, Ph.D., Virginia Tech.
ASM D.C. White Award for Interdisciplinary Research: Marvin Whiteley, Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology.
ASM Elizabeth O. King Lecturer Award: Carey-Ann Burnham, Ph.D., D(ABMM), Pattern Bioscience.
ASM Honorary Diversity Lecturer Award: Michael D. L. Johnson, Ph.D., The University of Arizona.
ASM Microbiome Data Prize: Joao Xavier, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
ASM Moselio Schaechter Award in Recognition of a Developing-Country Microbiologist: Jayanthi Shastri, M.D., Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India.
ASM Scherago-Rubin Award for Clinical Microbiology: Idzi Potters, B.S., Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.
ASM William A. Hinton Award for Advancement of a Diverse Community of Microbiologists: Shazia Hakim, Ph.D., Diné College.
Learn more about ASM awards and view past recipients on the Awards and Prize Program page. The 2026 ASM Awards and Prize Program is sponsored by the ASM Corporate Council. The 2026 Microbiome Data Prize is partially supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Elizabeth O. King Lecturer Award is supported by the New York Community Trust-Audrey Rheinstrom and Anne Blevins Fund.
