

The most definitive accounting of leaders and influencers in the life sciences
There’s never been a better time to recognize standout individuals in health, medicine, and science. And although there are countless contenders to choose from, we’ve selected just 46 — an homage to the number of chromosomes in human DNA.
Many on the STATUS List are well-known as changemakers; others are largely unheralded heroes. But all have compelling stories to tell.
There is no easy prescription for assembling this kind of list. As part of a months-long process, STAT leaned on its seasoned editorial team, along with a panel of external experts, to research and identify hundreds of finalists. Then the list was winnowed down. Judges placed special emphasis on people who have sought to help others and build community in these often-divisive times.
We think the result is a list as diverse as it is fascinating. We hope you agree.
See below to read more. "Editor's pick" denotes a longer profile.
Register for the STATUS List Spotlights Series to meet a few members of this inaugural list.

Business
Noubar Afeyan
Founder, Flagship Pioneering

Business
Bill John Baker
Executive chairman, Cherokee Nation Businesses

Business
Stéphane Bancel
CEO, Moderna

Business
Cori Bargmann
Head of science, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Academia
Regina Barzilay
Professor, MIT

Academia
Trevor Bedford
Researcher, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Academia
Carolyn Bertozzi
Professor, Stanford

Academia
Sangeeta Bhatia
Professor, MIT

Academia
Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo
Vice dean, UCSF

Medicine
Oni Blackstock
Founder, Health Justice

Medicine
Uché Blackstock
Founder and CEO, Advancing Health Equity

Business
Albert Bourla
Chairman and CEO, Pfizer

Medicine
Rhea Boyd
Pediatrician

Academia
Otis Brawley
Professor, Johns Hopkins University

Government
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure
Administrator, CMS

Government
Francis Collins
Acting science adviser to the president

Academia
Kizzmekia Corbett
Assistant professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Business
Sue Desmond-Hellmann
Former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Academia
Jennifer Doudna
Professor, UC Berkeley; founder, Innovative Genomics Institute

Government
Anthony Fauci
Director, NIAID

Government
Elizabeth Fowler
Director, CMS Innovation Center

Business
Kenneth Frazier
Executive chairman, Merck; Chairman, Health Assurance Initiatives, General Catalyst

Business
Yvonne Greenstreet
CEO, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Academia
David Hayes-Bautista
Professor, UCLA

Business
Penny Heaton
Global therapeutic area head, vaccines, Janssen

Academia
James Hildreth
President and CEO, Meharry Medical College

Medicine
Leroy Hood
Co-founder, Institute for Systems Biology

Academia
Peter Hotez
Co-director, Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development; professor, Baylor College of Medicine

Academia
Freeman Hrabowski III
President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Business
Kathrin Jansen
Head of vaccine research and development, Pfizer

Government
Pramila Jayapal
U.S. representative

Business
Katalin Karikó
Senior vice president, BioNTech

Business
Daphne Koller
Founder and CEO, Insitro

Government
Admiral Rachel L. Levine
Assistant secretary for health, HHS

Academia
David Liu
Merkin Institute director, Broad Institute

Medicine
Beverly Malone
CEO, National League for Nursing

Business
Michelle McMurry-Heath
President and CEO, BIO

Nonprofit
David Mitchell
President and founder, Patients for Affordable Drugs

Government
Vivek Murthy
U.S. surgeon general

Business
Robert Nelsen
Co-founder, ARCH Venture Partners

Nonprofit
Robert Perez
Founder and chairman, Life Science Cares; operating partner, General Atlantic

Academia
Joan Reede
Dean for diversity and community partnership, Harvard Medical School

Business
Leonard Schleifer
CEO, Regeneron

Medicine
Eric Topol
Director, Scripps Research Translational Institute

Medicine
Siobhan Wescott
Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Business
Anne Wojcicki
CEO and co-founder, 23andMe
Credits
STATUS List Creator and Strategy Adviser: Robert Buderi
Reporting and Research Heads: Robert Buderi, Lauren Gravitz
Reporters: Robert Buderi, Wade Roush, Neil Savage, and Emily Sohn
Head of Community: Jason Heathcote
Art Direction: Jen Keefe
Copy Editors: Sarah Mupo and Karen Pennar
Web Development: James Morrison and Chelsea Skovgaard
Project Management: Jacqui Montano and Tony Guzmán