Through investigating diseases, identifying abnormalities in viruses or saving lives, W. Ian Lipkin has made an incredible impact on the field of immunology. A 1970 U-High graduate, Dr. Lipkin has been recognized for his work in virus discovery and response with the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award. 

Currently the director of immunology and a John Snow professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, Dr. Lipkin has had an extensive career in immunology. He has studied and guided the response to many viruses in over 30 countries, and his impact on the research of the Niles West virus, COVID-19, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and HIV has saved lives, and his novel technological advancements have improved virus response for the years to come. 

His work led him to Hollywood, where he was the scientific adviser on the 2011 film “Contagion,” ensuring that the virus content was accurate. 

While Dr. Lipkin has won many alumni and science-related awards, winning Lab’s Distinguished Alumni Award was one of the most important to him.

“It is extraordinarily meaningful to me, and I couldn’t believe it when I was told that I was going to get this,” Dr. Lipkin said. “This is an amazing place.” 

Dr. Lipkin credits U-High for the way it shapes students, some of his favorite memories being a history course he took called Zinc Valley, which took students interactively through the bronze, copper and iron ages. 

“This is the place where I learned how to think, which set me up for what I’ve done with the rest of my life,” he said. 

During his time at U-High, Dr. Lipkin was an active participant in many extracurricular activities, including theater, Model United Nations and music. He was the president of the Student Board. 

While he had always been good at science, Dr. Lipkin’s diverse interests led him to pursue the social sciences in college. In fact, he did not take a science class until his junior year in college, where he immediately became hooked. 

“I said, ‘Give me facts, something that I know is real,’” he said. “That’s sort of where I evolved to think about things differently.”

Today, however, Dr. Lipkins recognizes that the field of science is changing for multiple reasons. 

“It’s a really difficult time for science in this country. There is a war on science and universities and academia [and] more generally, truth and facts,” Dr. Lipkin said. “But the thing about science is that it’s irrefutable. Gravity is real.” 

Another advancement in the field of science is the rise of artificial intelligence. Despite many jobs being changed by this tool, Dr. Lipkin encourages students pursuing science not to be discouraged. 

“There’s a human element that is very important,” he said. “There will never be a substitute for thinking clearly and for generating content.”