2025 Warren Alpert Prize winners honored at symposium
Three scientists’ discoveries culminated in novel HIV treatment.
By Randy Fox
From left, at a dinner following the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize scientific symposium: Bruce Walker, Linda-Gail Bekker, August “Gus” Schiesser, John O. Link, Tomas Cihlar, Wesley Sundquist, and George Q. Daley. Image: Gretchen Ertl
Bruce Walker, Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, served as symposium moderator. Image: Gretchen Ertl
John O. Link presents his award lecture. Image: Gretchen Ertl
Wesley Sundquist delivers his award lecture. Image: Gretchen Ertl
Linda-Gail Bekker, professor and director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the University of Cape Town, was invited to speak at the symposium. Image: Gretchen Ertl
Tomas Cihlar presents his award lecture. Image: Gretchen Ertl
The symposium featured a conversation with Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates, interviewed by Bruce Walker, via video recording. Image: Gretchen Ertl
The Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Symposium and Reception was held Oct. 29 to honor past and present Warren Alpert Foundation Distinguished Scholar Fellowship awardees. The event included a poster session in the TMEC atrium. Image: Gretchen Ertl
Harvard Medical School hosted a scientific symposium Oct. 30 in honor of the 2025 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize winners, whose discoveries culminated in the development of lenacapavir. This medication is used to treat and prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is the first approved drug to disrupt a viral capsid, a critical piece of the viral machinery that allows viruses to replicate.
The Warren Alpert Foundation awards this $500,000 annual prize, administered by HMS, to recognize work that has improved the understanding, prevention, and treatment of disease. Because lenacapavir—more potent than any other HIV drug—is given only twice a year and can prevent HIV infection, it carries the promise to accelerate the end of the HIV epidemic.
“Lenacapavir is a powerful example of how basic research that elucidates the structure and behavior of a virus can lead to life-changing treatments,” said HMS Dean George Q. Daley, AB ’82, MD ’91, PhD, who chairs the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize advisory board. “It reflects the best of academic-industry collaboration and marks a major step toward ending a decades-long epidemic.”
Three scientists received the 2025 prize:
Tomas Cihlar, PhD, senior vice president of research, virology, at Gilead Sciences
John O. Link, AM ’87, PhD ’92, former vice president of medicinal chemistry at Gilead Sciences, current scientific adviser at Actio Biosciences, and a scientific advisory board member at Terremoto Biosciences
Wesley Sundquist, PhD, Samuels Distinguished Professor and chair of biochemistry at the University of Utah
Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
The prize was established in 1987 by the late philanthropist and businessman Warren Alpert and the Warren Alpert Foundation. Since its inception, 16 Nobel Prize winners have received the award.
