Internationally renowned hepatitis B virologist to receive the 2027 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize
Dr. Wolfram H. Gerlich, whose discoveries underpin hepatitis B diagnosis worldwide, is recognized for foundational research and for setting international testing standards.
Doylestown, Pa. (Nov. 6, 2026) – The Hepatitis B Foundation announced today that Dr. Wolfram H. Gerlich, a virologist and former Professor of Medical Virology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany, has been chosen to receive its 2027 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize.
"Dr. Gerlich made tremendous contributions to the study of hepatitis B, including major foundational discoveries in HBV molecular biology and diagnostics. He is not only an accomplished scientist but also a respected leader who has shaped how hepatitis B is detected and understood in laboratories and clinics around the world,” said Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Blumberg Prize. My work was shaped by wonderful mentors and colleagues, and by many students and collaborators over the years. Hepatitis B research has always depended on people sharing ideas, challenging one another, and working toward a common goal, and I have been fortunate to be part of such a community throughout my career. What matters most to me is that this work ultimately helps protect people from a disease that affects so many families around the world,” said Dr. Gerlich.
The Blumberg Prize will be presented to Professor Gerlich at the 2027 Hepatitis B Foundation Gala, which will be held on April 9 in Warrington, Pa.
Professor Gerlich is an internationally recognized expert in hepatitis B virus (HBV) diagnosis, prevention, and research. He developed accurately calibrated, quantitative tests for HBsAg, anti-HBc IgM, and HBV DNA that became the basis for the corresponding World Health Organization International Standards. While working in the laboratory of William S. Robinson at Stanford University, he discovered a protein covalently bound to the 5' end of the DNA within the HBV particle, which proved to be the priming domain of the viral DNA polymerase. At the Institute of Medical Microbiology in Göttingen, he worked out the complete protein composition of the HBV envelope, known today as the small, middle, and large HBs proteins.
His research has ranged from basic molecular biology to public health. Professor Gerlich was a scientist and lecturer at the universities of Frankfurt, Stanford, and Göttingen, and for 20 years was Full Professor of Medical Virology at Justus-Liebig-University Giessen. He
retired formally in April 2010 but remains active at the university. He has published 377 articles in international journals and books, and he headed several collaborative infectious disease research projects funded by the German Research Foundation and the European Union. His honors include an Honorary Doctoral degree from the University of Latvia.
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 Physiology or Medicine in 1976 for discovering the hepatitis B virus. He was instrumental in the creation of the Foundation, served on its Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, and was its 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 selects each new honoree annually. Past recipients include Dr. Harvey Alter, who shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Dr. Anna Lok of the University of Michigan Medical School; Prof. Stephan Urban of Heidelberg University Hospital; and Dr. Pei-Jer Chen of National Taiwan University.
About Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year more than one million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers are still being silently damaged, which can develop into serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
About the Hepatitis B Foundation: As the world’s leading hepatitis B advocacy and research organization, the Hepatitis B Foundation is one of the most active proponents of improving hepatitis B screening, prevention and treatment of the disease. We are the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with staff in Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org or contact us through info@hepb.org | 215-489-4900.