Two ARUP Medical Directors Receive Career Achievement Awards

Two ARUP Laboratories medical directors have earned recognition for their contributions to clinical virology and public health from the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology (PASCV).

David Hillyard, MD, medical director of Molecular Infectious Diseases, has received the Ed Nowakowski Clinical Virology Award, one of PAVSC's highest career achievement honors. He will be recognized at PASCV's annual meeting, which begins today in Clearwater, Florida, along with Ben Bradley, MD, PhD, medical director of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Infectious Disease Genomic Technologies, High Consequence Pathogen Response, Virology, and Molecular Infectious Diseases. Bradley has received the organization's Young Investigator Award, which honors emerging leaders in the field.

The Ed Nowakowski Award recognizes sustained excellence and impact in clinical virology, according to PASCV. Past recipients include nationally and internationally recognized leaders such as Anthony Fauci, who is known for the crucial role he played during the COVID-19 pandemic as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

"PASCV represents the breadth of clinical virology, not just geographically, but scientifically," Hillyard said. "To be recognized by colleagues whose work has shaped this field over many years is deeply meaningful."

Hillyard's career has been distinguished by early and ongoing contributions to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostics, beginning in the formative years of molecular testing. Trained at Columbia University, he joined ARUP in 1985. In the decades since, he has worked on advanced test development, assay optimization, and academic-industry collaborations to improve diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. He also has served multiple terms on PASCV committees, helping to guide the society's scientific direction.

Hillyard said the award belongs to the team he has worked with at ARUP. "I am fortunate to work in an environment that gives people the freedom to innovate," he said. "The impact comes from many people doing the right thing together over time."

Bradley, who joined ARUP as a medical microbiology fellow in 2021 and became a medical director in 2022, is being recognized for his work at the intersection of clinical virology, public health, and outbreak response. His efforts have focused on rapidly expanding access to accurate diagnostic testing during public health emergencies, leveraging ARUP's reach as a national reference laboratory with hospital and health system clients in all 50 states.

Since joining ARUP, Bradley has led or supported testing responses for mpox, avian influenza A(H5), and measles, including during a period when ARUP performed nearly 15% of mpox testing nationwide. In Utah's ongoing measles outbreak, ARUP's testing has significantly shortened turnaround times, supporting both patient care and public health contact tracing efforts.

Bradley's work has also helped position ARUP as a key public health partner at the national level. These efforts have led to more than $5 million in CDC funding for initiatives related to pandemic preparedness, infectious disease data sharing, and development of a metagenomic next-generation sequencing assay capable of identifying a wide range of pathogens.

"It's an honor to be recognized by leading clinical virologists," Bradley said. "For me, it reinforces that the work we're doing at ARUP-building resources that improve public health response-is valuable beyond our organization. This award also belongs to the scientists and staff who turn these ideas into reality."

Bradley views the Young Investigator Award as both recognition and responsibility.

"While this award recognizes early-career work, it also represents a commitment to what comes next," he said. "The public health landscape is changing, and I hope over the next 20 years, we continue to do the right thing for patients and establish ARUP as a national leader in infectious disease diagnosis."

Bonnie Stray, [email protected]

Lisa Carricaburu, [email protected]