Congratulations to 2026 Waksman Awardee, Dr. Martin Blaser

Dr. Martin J. Blaser is a globally recognized physician, microbiologist, and pioneer in human microbiome research whose work has fundamentally reshaped how scientists understand the relationship between microbes and human health. As the Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome and Director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Blaser has spent decades studying how changes in the human microbiome influence conditions including asthma, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and immune-related diseases.

Recipient of the 2026 Waksman Award & Lectureship from the Theobald Smith Society, Dr. Blaser presented his lecture, “Missing in Action: Characteristics and Consequences of an Invisible Extinction.”

Over the course of his career, Dr. Blaser has authored more than 600 scientific publications, served as President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and been elected to both the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also the author of the bestselling book "Missing Microbes," which brought microbiome science to a broad public audience and helped spark global conversation about the long-term health consequences of microbial loss.