John Modlin, MD, conducted the clinical trials for polio that led to a switch to inactivated polio vaccine in the US and coordinated activities at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focused on development of new vaccines to assist the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. He has played a leadership role in US vaccine policy generally as chair of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and chair of the FDA Vaccines and Biological Products Advisory Committee. He has served on numerous other national and international vaccine Advisory committees and is the former Chair of Pediatrics at Dartmouth Health.