Moderna CMO to be Honored
University to award honorary doctorate to Dr. Tal Zaks
This May Bar-Ilan University will award an honorary doctorate to Dr. Tal Zaks, Chief Medical Officer of Moderna, which partnered in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“It’s not often that we are able to reap such historic fruits from such labor, and to join in experiencing the impact of that work in such an immediate and inspiring way," University President Prof. Arie Zaban told Dr. Zaks. "You and Moderna have given us that opportunity. This degree is an expression of the deep appreciation we have for every member of your dedicated team, whose life-saving work has brought hope to citizens of the world, and special pride to the citizens of Israel, who are honored to call you one of our own.”
“I am touched by the University's decision," responded Zaks. "My life work and that of my colleagues lies in the translation of science into medicine, a translation whose success depends on the integration of excellence in research with moral insight. I am especially proud to receive this degree from Bar-Ilan University, which represents the aspiration to combine innovation and morality with a commitment to Zionism and the Jewish people -- an aspiration that naturally speaks to my heart.”
Dr. Zaks graduated from the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa before going on to study medicine at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he received his degree in 1992. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Temple University, and later his fellowship in oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
In the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna was the first contender to launch clinical trials in March of last year. While its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine is based on technology known to the medical world since the 1990s, the company was the first to apply it to the development of a vaccine, which has now become a winning weapon in the world’s war on the COVID pandemic.
In a letter sent to Dr. Zaks upon his selection as recipient of an honorary doctorate, Prof. Zaban added, “The Degree Committee, which selected you from among a long list of impressive and worthy candidates, believed that your sense of daring and determination set you apart. Theyexpressed a deep admiration for your clear sense of integrity, and the hope that you would serve as a personal example for future scientists and researchers. Through both your actions and values, you embody the best of Bar-Ilan University and inspire us all.”
Bar-Ilan University has awarded honorary doctorates since 1971 to leading figures from both Israel and abroad who have made noteworthy contributions to science, scholarship, culture, and the arts, and in turn made a meaningful impact on society.
The award ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 30, 2021 as part of the University's annual Board of Trustees meetings. The event is expected to be held in-person, a show of confidence in the vaccination program that Dr. Zaks and his team have helped to make a reality.
Photo courtesy of Moderna.