Rino Rappuoli - Biography#

Rino Rappuoli is Chief Scientist and Head External R&D at GSK Vaccines, based in Siena, Italy and Professor of Vaccines Research, Imperial College, London. Prior positions were: head of Vaccine R&D at Novartis, CSO of Chiron Corporation, and head for R&D at Sclavo. He earned his PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Siena, Italy, and was visiting scientist at Rockefeller University and Harvard Medical School.

He is elected member of the Royal Society of London, the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS), and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). Awards received include: the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, the Gold Medal by the Italian President, the Albert B Sabin Gold Medal, the Canada Gairdner International Award, the European Inventor Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the 2019 Robert Koch Award. He was nominated third most influential person worldwide in the field of vaccines (Terrapin). He has published 700 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

He introduced novel scientific concepts: genetic detoxification; cellular microbiology; reverse vaccinology; pangenome. Developed licensed vaccines: acellular pertussis containing a non-toxic mutant of pertussis toxin; the first conjugate vaccine against meningococcus C and the first vaccine for meningococcus B, for which both vaccines the United Kingdom has been forerunner in introducing them for mass immunization; MF59, the first vaccine adjuvant after aluminium salts; CRM197 that is used as carrier in many conjugate vaccines.

Dr. Rappuoli is the Founder of the GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH).