Page 27 - profiles in civil service program 2018 version

Award, Excellence in Emergency Response Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Response Team; and the U.S. Pharmacopeia Group Award for an Innovative

Response to Public Health Challenges. To better serve U.S. and Foreign
Policy, I was appointed Member on the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization/World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food
Additives. In addition, I currently serve as the Chair of the Maryland

Federation (NARFE) Legislative Committee and on the Fulbright Association
Advisory Committee.

I am Dr. George J. Galasso, a Veteran, and I served in the National Institutes

of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services. I graduated
from Manhattan College in New York City, served in the U.S. Army, and
subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of North

Carolina.

In 1968, I was accepted into the Grants Associates Program of the NIH, and
began my career as an administrator of scientific programs. I was
subsequently hired by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases (NIAID), where I initiated a contract program to investigate whether
antiviral drugs could be found to treat virus infections. This was in the late
1960s when there was doubt that antivirals would be successful. This
program was able to demonstrate that antiviral agents could indeed be

successfully used against ongoing serious viral infections. The AIDS
epidemic soon followed, with success in developing antivirals for treatment.
My efforts in the field of antiviral research, developing antivirals, including

Interferon, for the treatment of viral infections and cancer, have been
internationally recognized.

I subsequently became Chief, Infectious Disease Branch, responsible for
vaccine development in addition to antivirals. In this capacity, I was

responsible for the development of the Zoster vaccine and supported the
development of pneumococcal vaccine.

The second half of my career at NIH was as Associate Director for Extramural
Affairs of the NIH, developing policies including conflict of interest

guidelines, following Congressional authorization of government scientists to
hold patents and collaborate with industry. I have authored nearly 100
scientific articles, reviews and two texts. I am the recipient of numerous
Public Health Service and Achievement Awards, as well as international

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