Harvey J. Alter
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[[Image:Alter.jpeg|thumb|Harvey J. Alter, chief of the infectious disease section in the department of transfusion medicine at the National Institutes of Health]]
'''Harvey J. Alter''', chief of the [[infectious disease]] section in the department of transfusion medicine at the [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH), was awarded the 2000 [[Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research]] for his work leading to the discovery of the virus that causes [[hepatitis C]]. Alter and his co-awardee Michael Houghton were recognized for the development of blood screening methods that essentially eliminated the risk of transfusion-associated hepatitis in the U.S. <ref name=lasker1> [http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/2000clinical.shtml The Lasker Foundation]</ref> Alter has received numerous honors for his [[medical research]] including the [[Distinguished Service Medal (United States)|Distinguished Service Medal]], the highest award conferred to civilians in United States government [[public health]] service. <ref name=CurriculumVitae>[http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/2000clinical_alter_cv.shtml Harvey J. Alter Curriculum Vitae]</ref>
== Education and career ==
Alter attended the [[University of Rochester]] in [[Rochester, New York]], and earned a [[bachelor of arts]] degree in 1956. In 1960, Alter obtained a medical degree from University of Rochester. Alters's post graduate training includes a rotation as a clinical associate at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland from 12/61-6/64; a year of residency in medicine at [[University of Washington]] Hospital System, [[Seattle, Washington]] from 7/64-6/65; and work as a [[hematology]] fellow at [[Georgetown University]] Hospital, [[Washington, DC]] from 7/65-6/66.
Alter has a [[medical license]] issued by the District of Columbia. Additionally he holds certification by the American Board of Pathology-Subspecialty [[Blood transfusion|Blood Banking]] and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians/American Society Internal Medicine. Clinical appointments include: director, hematology research at Georgetown University Hospital from 7/66-6/69; senior investigator in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the NIH from 7/69-present; chief of infectious diseases section at the department of transfusion medicine in the Clinical Center NIH from 12/72-present; associate director for research at the department of transfusion medicine at the Clinical Center at NIH from 1/87-present.
Alter's academic appointments include: clinical associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University Hospital; Adjunct Professor at [[Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research]] in [[San Antonio, TX]]; clinical professor of medicine at Georgetown University Hospital; and a faculty position at Clinical Research Training Program at the NIH.<ref name=CurriculumVitae>
Alter came to the NIH Clinical Center as a senior investigator in 1969. He remains at the NIH as a chief of the infectious diseases section and associate director of research in the department of transfusion medicine. As a young research fellow, he co- discovered the Australian [[antigen]], a major factor in detecting the hepatitis B virus. Later, he lead a Clinical Center project to store [[blood]] samples used to uncover the causes and reduce the risk of transfusion-associated hepatitis. Based on his work, the [[United States]] started blood and donor screening programs that lowered the cause of hepatitis due to this risk from 30 percent in 1970 to nearly 0. <ref name=nihprofile>[http://www.cc.nih.gov/about/profile/docs/11_people.htm 2005 NIH profile]</ref>
== Discovery of hepatitis C ==
In the mid 1970’s, Alter and his research team demonstrated that most post-transfusion [[hepatitis]] cases were not due to [[hepatitis A]] and [[hepatitis B]] viruses. Alter, in collaboration with Bob Purcell and Stephen Feinstone, proved through transmission studies in chimpanzees that a new form of hepatitis, initially called “non-A, non-B hepatitis” caused the infections. This work eventually lead to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. In [[1988]] the new hepatitis virus was confirmed by Alter's group by verifying its presence in their stored panel of NANBH specimens. <ref name=laskeraward> [http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/naturemedicine/Alter.pdf Alter.pdf]</ref> In April of 1989, the discovery of the non-A, non-B virus, re-named hepatitis C virus, was published in two articles in ''Science''.
== Honors and award ==
Alter has been elected to both the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]] and the [[Institute of Medicine]]. In 2005, he received the [[American College of Physicians]] Award for Outstanding Work in Science as Related to Medicine.
Speaking of Alter's long research career at the time of the 2000 Lasker Award, Dr. [[Harvey Klein]], chief of the Clinical Center Transfusion Medicine Department noted, "As a young research fellow, Dr. Alter co-discovered the Australia antigen, a key to detecting hepatitis B virus. For many investigators that would be the highlight of a career. For Dr. Alter it was only an auspicious beginning." <ref name=ClinicalCenter>[http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/about/news/newsletter/2000/oct00/ Clinical Center News October 2000]</ref>
== References ==
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== Further reading ==
* [http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/library/2000c_pp.shtml 2000 Awards Presentation of Clinical Award by Leon Rosenberg] The Lasker Foundation Award Winners, Clinical Medical Research
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Medical researchers]]