THE THOMAS FRANCIS, JR. MEDAL IN GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH

Thomas Francis Jr.’s Legacy at Michigan

Arnold Monto, professor of epidemiology, came to the University of Michigan because he wanted to continue his research on respiratory infections, and Thomas Francis gave him the opportunity to do that as part of the landmark Tecumseh Community Health Survey.

The Tecumseh study, begun in 1956 and led by Francis, looked at behavioral, environmental, and family factors associated with cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions. Monto talked to Francis about expanding its scope, and he studied the spread of respiratory infections in 10,000 residents of Tecumseh, Mich. in the 1960s and 1970s.

Francis developed the first killed-virus flu shot, and today Monto is one of the world’s leading flu researchers, carrying on the Francis tradition at Michigan.

“He had a profound influence on what people worked on here,” Monto said.

Monto described Francis as a demanding leader—he would not allow for sweeping generalizations in scientific results, instead insisting upon the evidence to back everything up.

“He made us into people who question things, who took nothing for granted,” Monto said.

Hunein “John” Maassab, emeritus professor of epidemiology, was a research assistant for Thomas Francis while he was a graduate student at Michigan. Maasab helped work on the data for the polio vaccine trials, and was in the audience at Rackham Auditorium for the historic announcement in 1955 that the vaccine worked.

Maassab completed his doctoral work 1956, including a dissertation on influenza. He was inspired by Francis, who had overseen the U.S. Army’s flu vaccine program during World War II.

After Francis developed the first killed-virus flu vaccine, he told Maassab that the next logical step would be a vaccine using a live virus. Maassab ultimately spent his entire career developing a live-attenuated, cold-adapted flu vaccine, the technology behind the nasal spray flu vaccine FluMist.

“My work started with a job offer from Dr. Thomas Francis Jr. to join the department of epidemiology after receiving my Ph.D. in 1956,” Maassab said. “Dr. Francis asked me to work on a live flu vaccine because the killed virus vaccine was not completely effective. Some people who got the killed virus vaccine were not protected. They got the flu.

“The prevention and control of viral diseases is an important evolving public health effort. Infectious diseases are an increasing public health problem. My work can serve as an example for others to follow.”