Joseph Heitman, MD, PhD, has received the Lucille Georg Award in the basic scientist category from the International Society of Human and Animal Mycoses (ISHAM). This distinguished award, presented every three years at the ISHAM Congress, recognizes lifetime achievements and outstanding contributions to the field of medical mycology.
Heitman, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, delivered a lecture during the award ceremony on May 21 at the ISHAM 2025 Congress in Iguaçu Falls, Brazil. He spoke about his lab’s discovery of unstable, transient antimicrobial resistance invoked by RNAi-dependent epimutation in the human fungal pathogen Mucor.
The Lucille Georg Award, established in 1982, is ISHAM’s highest honor and is awarded to two individuals — one in basic science and one in clinical science. Heitman joins a prestigious group of past recipients, including Duke faculty members John Perfect, MD, and Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD.
The award includes a Lucille Georg medal and a monetary prize of 1,000 Swiss Francs. Recipients are selected by an independent committee nominated by the ISHAM Council.
ISHAM, with a membership of approximately 1,000 scientists and clinicians worldwide, continues to advance the study and treatment of fungal diseases in humans and animals.