Scientific Advisory Board

Harvey J. Alter, MD

Dr. Alter won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. His career at National Institutes of Health (NIH) has spanned more than 50 years where he focused his research on the occurrence of hepatitis in patients who had received blood transfusions. Dr. Alter had focused on viral hepatitis even before his work on hepatitis C. In the 1960s, he co-discovered the Australia antigen, which was later named the hepatitis B virus. Later, he spearheaded a project at the NIH Clinical Center that created a storehouse of blood samples used to uncover the causes and reduce the risk of transfusion-associated hepatitis. In 2000, Alter was awarded the prestigious Clinical Lasker Award. In 2002, he became the first NIH Clinical Center scientist elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and in that same year he was elected to the Institute of Medicine. In 2013, Dr. Alter was honored with the distinguished Canada Gairdner International Award. Dr. Alter is the former Chief of the infectious disease section and Associate Director for research of the NIH Department of Transfusion Medicine where he now currently serves as Senior Scholar.

Dr. Harvey Alter is participating on the Merlin Biotech’s Scientific Advisory Board in his personal capacity and the company’s views are their own and do not represent the views of NIH or the federal government.