Baruch S. Blumberg Prize for Outstanding Contributions to Hepatitis B Research
Stephan Urban, PhD
Stephan Urban, PhD, distinguished professor and globally recognized virologist, has been chosen to receive the Foundation's 2023 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize.
Dr. Urban's research led to the creation of bulevirtide, the first drug approved to treat hepatitis D, which is a serious coinfection that only exists in combination with hepatitis B. Developed by Dr. Urban and his team at Heidelberg University Hospital, bulevirtide blocks the entry of the hepatitis B and hepatitis D viruses into the liver cell. Hepcludex, the first commercial formulation of bulevirtide, was approved by the European Commission in July 2020.
Studies have estimated that 12 to 74 million people carrying the hepatitis B virus have been coinfected with hepatitis D virus (HDV) worldwide. Chronic HDV infection results in often fatal complications and a higher risk of liver cancer.
“Dr. Urban’s innovative research has helped us understand key components of hepatitis B and D virology, and he is a pioneer in the development of new therapeutics for hepatitis B and D,” Hepatitis B Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, said. “The hepatitis B and D communities owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Timothy M. Block, PhD, co-founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation and one of the world’s leading experts on hepatitis B, said: “Prof. Urban is one of the world’s most innovative and creative scientists, taking an idea for a drug from concept all the way to practice, where it’s now being used to treat people. Honoring this kind of accomplishment is exactly what we intended for the Blumberg Prize.”
Prof. Urban is head of Translational Virology in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, at Heidelberg University Hospital. He also is Project Coordinator for the DZIF (German Center for Infection research) TTU Hepatitis Program. Prof. Urban was awarded with the DZIF Research Award in 2014, received the Pettenkofer Prize in 2011, the distinguished award in Hepatitis B Virus research in 2021 and the Wolfgang Gerok prize in 2022.
Prof. Urban’s research interests include molecular mechanisms of hepatitis B and hepatitis D virus/host interactions with a focus on the early and late events of viral infection; identification of hepadnaviral receptors and structural analyses of virus receptor interactions; development of novel cell culture systems for HBV and HDV; clinical development of entry inhibitors for HBV and HDV infection; and analyses of innate immune responses upon HBV and HDV infection.
Prof. Urban completed his Diploma in Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen in 1991 and was awarded a doctorate in 1995 under Prof. P.H. Hofschneider at the Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Centre for Molecular Biology, Heidelberg University, with Prof. H. Schaller and became an independent group leader in the department of molecular virology headed by Prof. Ralf Bartenschlager,
The Baruch S. Blumberg Prize is the Hepatitis B Foundation’s highest honor. It is named for Baruch S. Blumberg, MD, DPhil, who received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1976 for discovering the hepatitis B virus. He was instrumental in the creation of the Foundation, served on our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and was the Foundation’s Distinguished Scholar from 1992 until his death in 2011. The Foundation’s research arm was renamed the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute in his honor.
A committee of former Blumberg Prize recipients annually selects a new honoree. Past recipients include Dr. Harvey Alter, who was among the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology; Dr. Anna Lok, assistant dean for clinical research, University of Michigan Medical School; and Dr. John Taylor, professor emeritus, Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Baruch S. Blumberg Prize for Outstanding Contributions to Hepatitis B Research
Stephan Urban, PhD
Stephan Urban, PhD, distinguished professor and globally recognized virologist, has been chosen to receive the Foundation's 2023 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize.
Dr. Urban's research led to the creation of bulevirtide, the first drug approved to treat hepatitis D, which is a serious coinfection that only exists in combination with hepatitis B. Developed by Dr. Urban and his team at Heidelberg University Hospital, bulevirtide blocks the entry of the hepatitis B and hepatitis D viruses into the liver cell. Hepcludex, the first commercial formulation of bulevirtide, was approved by the European Commission in July 2020.
Studies have estimated that 12 to 74 million people carrying the hepatitis B virus have been coinfected with hepatitis D virus (HDV) worldwide. Chronic HDV infection results in often fatal complications and a higher risk of liver cancer.
“Dr. Urban’s innovative research has helped us understand key components of hepatitis B and D virology, and he is a pioneer in the development of new therapeutics for hepatitis B and D,” Hepatitis B Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, said. “The hepatitis B and D communities owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Timothy M. Block, PhD, co-founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation and one of the world’s leading experts on hepatitis B, said: “Prof. Urban is one of the world’s most innovative and creative scientists, taking an idea for a drug from concept all the way to practice, where it’s now being used to treat people. Honoring this kind of accomplishment is exactly what we intended for the Blumberg Prize.”
Prof. Urban is head of Translational Virology in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, at Heidelberg University Hospital. He also is Project Coordinator for the DZIF (German Center for Infection research) TTU Hepatitis Program. Prof. Urban was awarded with the DZIF Research Award in 2014, received the Pettenkofer Prize in 2011, the distinguished award in Hepatitis B Virus research in 2021 and the Wolfgang Gerok prize in 2022.
Prof. Urban’s research interests include molecular mechanisms of hepatitis B and hepatitis D virus/host interactions with a focus on the early and late events of viral infection; identification of hepadnaviral receptors and structural analyses of virus receptor interactions; development of novel cell culture systems for HBV and HDV; clinical development of entry inhibitors for HBV and HDV infection; and analyses of innate immune responses upon HBV and HDV infection.
Prof. Urban completed his Diploma in Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen in 1991 and was awarded a doctorate in 1995 under Prof. P.H. Hofschneider at the Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Centre for Molecular Biology, Heidelberg University, with Prof. H. Schaller and became an independent group leader in the department of molecular virology headed by Prof. Ralf Bartenschlager,
The Baruch S. Blumberg Prize is the Hepatitis B Foundation’s highest honor. It is named for Baruch S. Blumberg, MD, DPhil, who received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1976 for discovering the hepatitis B virus. He was instrumental in the creation of the Foundation, served on our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board and was the Foundation’s Distinguished Scholar from 1992 until his death in 2011. The Foundation’s research arm was renamed the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute in his honor.
A committee of former Blumberg Prize recipients annually selects a new honoree. Past recipients include Dr. Harvey Alter, who was among the winners of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology; Dr. Anna Lok, assistant dean for clinical research, University of Michigan Medical School; and Dr. John Taylor, professor emeritus, Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Community Commitment Award
Su Wang, MD, MPH
The Hepatitis B Foundation has chosen Su Wang, MD, MPH, FACP, dedicated physician and advocate, to receive its 2023 Community Commitment Award.
Dr. Wang is the medical director of Viral Hepatitis Programs and the Center for Asian Health at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. She is a practicing internist and also living with hepatitis B, having been diagnosed when she donated blood in college.
A dedicated advocate to improving awareness, screening and linkage-to-care and treatment for people living with hepatitis B, Dr. Wang is a member of the Hepatitis B Foundation Board of Directors. She is immediate past president of the World Hepatitis Alliance, a patient-led international organization whose mission is to harness the power of people living with viral hepatitis to achieve its elimination.
“We have never had another advocate like Su Wang, who merges her clinical expertise with her lived experience to elevate the voices of those most impacted by hepatitis B,” Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, Hepatitis B Foundation president, said. “She has been leading the global charge to motivate patients, community leaders, clinicians and policy makers to prioritize hepatitis B elimination efforts. Su has a global reach, and a local impact – changing lives for her own patients, her local community and around the world.”
Dr. Wang has had remarkable impact in the field of hepatitis B. She has created hepatitis B screening and linkage-to-care initiatives in the Asian and foreign-born communities in New York City and Northern New Jersey. She leads primary care-based hepatitis care programs and advocates for simplification and expansion of treatment guidelines. As a mother herself, she has been passionate about EMTCT (elimination of mother-to-child transmission) and has designed the HepB Moms programs for pregnant women and their infants. She has served on several World Health Organization committees, including for guideline development and for the triple elimination of mother-to-child -transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. She amplifies the voice of people living with viral hepatitis and affected communities locally and globally. She was recognized as a Hep B Champion in 2014 by the Hepatitis B United National Coalition, a HepB Hero by the San Francisco Hep B Free in 2020, and as a 2022 Elimination Champion by the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination.
“I am humbled to receive HBF’s 2023 Community Commitment Award,” Dr. Wang said. “I strongly believe that many of my accomplishments would not have been possible without the work that HBF has done in laying the groundwork for hepatitis B. Together, we will continue to be the voice for those living with hepatitis B around the world- many who do not have a voice.”
Dr. Wang received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine and her Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. After completing internal medicine and pediatric residencies at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., she worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer based at the FDA.
Dr. Wang lives in North Jersey with her husband, Daniel Chen, four children ages 7, 10, 13 and 15, and they have three chickens, one gecko and Sir Charles the cat.
Previous recipients are valued advocates including #justB storytellers, dedicated philanthropists and valued advisors to the Foundation: Rev. Jason Crum Escalera, Susana Guigere, Paula Wong, Fred Beans, Marvin and Dee Ann Woodall, Ren Capocasale, Bruce and Cynthia Maryanoff, Jim and Teri Holton, Debbie Wagner, Bridget Wingert and Brad Segall.
See the full list of previous award winners here.
Community Commitment Award
Su Wang, MD, MPH
The Hepatitis B Foundation has chosen Su Wang, MD, MPH, FACP, dedicated physician and advocate, to receive its 2023 Community Commitment Award.
Dr. Wang is the medical director of Viral Hepatitis Programs and the Center for Asian Health at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. She is a practicing internist and also living with hepatitis B, having been diagnosed when she donated blood in college.
A dedicated advocate to improving awareness, screening and linkage-to-care and treatment for people living with hepatitis B, Dr. Wang is a member of the Hepatitis B Foundation Board of Directors. She is immediate past president of the World Hepatitis Alliance, a patient-led international organization whose mission is to harness the power of people living with viral hepatitis to achieve its elimination.
“We have never had another advocate like Su Wang, who merges her clinical expertise with her lived experience to elevate the voices of those most impacted by hepatitis B,” Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, Hepatitis B Foundation president, said. “She has been leading the global charge to motivate patients, community leaders, clinicians and policy makers to prioritize hepatitis B elimination efforts. Su has a global reach, and a local impact – changing lives for her own patients, her local community and around the world.”
Dr. Wang has had remarkable impact in the field of hepatitis B. She has created hepatitis B screening and linkage-to-care initiatives in the Asian and foreign-born communities in New York City and Northern New Jersey. She leads primary care-based hepatitis care programs and advocates for simplification and expansion of treatment guidelines. As a mother herself, she has been passionate about EMTCT (elimination of mother-to-child transmission) and has designed the HepB Moms programs for pregnant women and their infants. She has served on several World Health Organization committees, including for guideline development and for the triple elimination of mother-to-child -transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. She amplifies the voice of people living with viral hepatitis and affected communities locally and globally. She was recognized as a Hep B Champion in 2014 by the Hepatitis B United National Coalition, a HepB Hero by the San Francisco Hep B Free in 2020, and as a 2022 Elimination Champion by the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination.
“I am humbled to receive HBF’s 2023 Community Commitment Award,” Dr. Wang said. “I strongly believe that many of my accomplishments would not have been possible without the work that HBF has done in laying the groundwork for hepatitis B. Together, we will continue to be the voice for those living with hepatitis B around the world- many who do not have a voice.”
Dr. Wang received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine and her Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. After completing internal medicine and pediatric residencies at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., she worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer based at the FDA.
Dr. Wang lives in North Jersey with her husband, Daniel Chen, four children ages 7, 10, 13 and 15, and they have three chickens, one gecko and Sir Charles the cat.
Previous recipients are valued advocates including #justB storytellers, dedicated philanthropists and valued advisors to the Foundation: Rev. Jason Crum Escalera, Susana Guigere, Paula Wong, Fred Beans, Marvin and Dee Ann Woodall, Ren Capocasale, Bruce and Cynthia Maryanoff, Jim and Teri Holton, Debbie Wagner, Bridget Wingert and Brad Segall.
See the full list of previous award winners here.
Gala Speakers
We are pleased to announce this year's speakers and honorees. Each of these distinguished individuals dedicates themselves to our common pursuit of working to help promote the cause of Hepatitis B support and prevention. Their wealth of knowledge and experience is pivotal to our continued success in the fight for people suffering from this disease. We are grateful for their commitment and they are excited to share in this anniversary celebration.
Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH
President, Hepatitis B Foundation
Timothy M. Block, PhD
Co-Founder, Hepatitis B Foundation
Executive Chair, Hepatitis B Foundation Board of Directors.
Jean Holmes, MBA
Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Hepatitis B Foundation
Randall N. Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH
President, Baruch S, Blumberg Institute
Louis P. Kassa, MPA
President of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC)
Chief Executive Officer of the PABC, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and Hepatitis B Foundation
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