Tavis Honored With Distinguished Award in Hepatitis B Research

Tavis Honored With Distinguished Award in Hepatitis B Research

The International HBV Meeting has recognized John Tavis, Ph.D., professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Saint Louis University, with the Distinguished Award in Hepatitis B Research.

The award is given annually to honor researchers who have made seminal, long-lasting contributions to the study of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the Hepatitis D virus (HDV).

"This award is deeply gratifying to me because it was conferred by my peers who understand Hepatitis B virus biology the best," Tavis said. "I've spent my entire career working with them, arguing with them, and listening to their work, so getting this recognition for my work means a lot to me."

Tavis and his team of researchers have been studying the replication mechanisms and enzymology of the Hepatitis B Virus for more than 30 years. Experts estimate that two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus. Approximately 1.5 million people become newly infected each year.

"HBV is a truly fascinating virus," he said. "Its molecular biology is extremely complex, its interaction with liver cells is highly unusual for viruses, and the diseases it causes are varied both within a single patient and between patients. This complexity has fascinated me since I first heard of HBV in about 1986, and it still fascinates me today."

The Distinguished Award in Hepatitis B Research recognizes researchers who have had highly impactful publications and are longstanding members of the HBV/HDV research community.

His major contributions include being co-discoverer of one of the steps in the viral replication cycle, defining the dynamics of the viral polymerase protein within cells and its potential to have roles in viral immune evasion in addition to its central role in viral replication, identifying and validating the viral polymerase's 3-dimensional structure for the first time, and launching a vigorous drug discovery project targeting the viral ribonuclease H activity, one of the two enzymatic activities possessed by the viral polymerase protein.

In addition to his research work, Tavis has been active in supporting the community of people living with HBV. He has lobbied for additional resources to help infected people worldwide and pushed for expanding the current HBV treatment guidelines to better serve HBV+ people.

Tavis said this honor is also shared with his research team.
"Science is always done in teams, so this award is shared by all the scientists who have worked in my lab, undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, technicians, and visiting scientists, and I'm delighted that their efforts are recognized," he said.

Tavis will receive the award at the International HBV Meeting in September.