Jonas Salk

Jonas Salk (1914–1995) was an American medical researcher and virologist whose work transformed public health. Born in New York City, he trained in medicine and became known for research on influenza and poliomyelitis. At the University of Pittsburgh, Salk led the development of an inactivated polio vaccine. After large-scale field trials, the vaccine was declared safe and effective in 1955 and was rapidly adopted, helping reduce polio cases in the United States and worldwide. Salk later founded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, serving as its first director. Though not a literary author, his public statements are widely quoted.