Columbia professor honored

W. Ian Lipkin, the John Snow Professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health in New York, received China's top honor for a foreign scientist - the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award - on Jan 8 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Lipkin was honored for his work to help combat the 2003 outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). He continues to consult with a number of government bodies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Science, and the Ministry of Health. Photos provided to China Daily

Physician gets China's top science award for work on SARS epidemic, health system

In 2003, while Asia was in the throes of the SARS epidemic, Dr W. Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, left the United States for his first visit to China.

It was far from a sightseeing mission. Lipkin was heading out to help in the fight against the deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak.

As an expert on diseases and how they spread, Lipkin was called on to help vet their plan of action to combat the epidemic, looking for holes in their strategy.

On Jan 8, Lipkin returned to China to receive the nation's highest honor awarded to a foreign scientist - the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award.

Lipkin, who is the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, received the award during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he was honored alongside dozens of other domestic and foreign scientists for their achievements.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang presided over the awards ceremony.