Philip Russell

Philip K. Russell - Vaccine Scientist

Major General (Ret) Philip King Russell, physician, scientist, soldier, family man and global health advocate who dedicated his life to protecting humans from infectious disease through vaccines, died peacefully on January 21, 2021, a week before his 89th birthday and just a few months after being diagnosed with cancer.

Having witnessed firsthand how the spread of infectious diseases led to disability and early death, Phil applied his bedrock of integrity and scientific expertise to the quest of protecting people everywhere from infectious diseases and their consequences, including a focus on pandemic preparedness, throughout his 60-year career.  During the last year of his life, Phil witnessed what he knew would happen one day – a new virus that would spread around the globe faster than could be imagined.

Born in Syracuse, NY, in 1932, Dr. Russell earned his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1958 and had a 30-year career in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

Pursuing a career in infectious disease and tropical medicine research, Phil took on a succession of research assignments at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and its overseas laboratories and rose to become Commander of the Institute.  His work focused on a wide range of viral and parasitic diseases, including dengue, malaria, hepatitis, and respiratory viruses.  With more than 100 authored or co-authored research publications, Phil contributed to the development of several vaccines including meningitis, adenovirus, and hepatitis A and B.

Phil also served as the Commander of Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado from October of 1983 to May of 1986 and retired in 1990 as Commander of the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command as a Major General. Among many other military citations during his career, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal.   During his military career, he was an active member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, serving as its President in 1983.

After retiring from military service, Phil joined Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health as professor of international health and began his 30-years of service to non-profit organizations focused on developing vaccines to combat infectious diseases.  He was the founding President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in 1993 and continued serving on the Board of Trustees in various roles including as Board Chair from 2007 to 2008 until his retirement in December 2019.  Phil was an advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Vaccine Initiative, as well as numerous advisory boards of national and international agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Medicine, and the World Health Organization.  He was also a founding member of the Board of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, served on the Boards of Directors of the International Vaccine Institute and the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, and was instrumental in creating the Malaria Vaccine Initiative.

Following the anthrax attacks in 2001, Phil was tapped by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson to join the Office of Public Health Preparedness (now the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response).  The success of Phil’s work inspired the creation of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the establishment of the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile.  Phil’s work in the Army’s Medical R&D Command, with HHS, and his many contributions to vaccine science laid the foundation for the design and operational philosophy behind Operation Warp Speed’s vaccine development efforts.

Phil was just as comfortable in nature as he was in the realm of science.  He was an avid fly fisherman, outdoorsman and naturalist who appreciated the world around us.  Phil spent his final days surrounded by his loving family.  His proudest achievement was his large and ever-expanding family.  Phil is survived by his wife of 65 years, Constance Rice Russell, three children, Katherine Russell Kingsbery, Ellen King Russell Herting, and Richard Webster Russell; six grandchildren, Russell Everette Kingsbery, Kelsey Louise Kingsbery, William Webster Kingsbery, Avery Grace Russell, Peyton Christine Russell, Taylor King Russell and three great grandchildren.

A private service with full military honors will be held on January 28 at Fort Logan in Colorado. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Phil’s memory to the Sabin Vaccine Institute ( www.sabin.org ).