Scientist. A virologist, his discoveries of a reliable test for and a vaccine to protect against Hepatitis B have been responsible for saving countless lives. The child of Russian immigrants, he was raised in New York City and during World War II served in the Eighth Armored Division where he received the Bronze Star for combat gallantry. Millman earned his undergraduate degree from City College of New York in 1948 and received his master's in biochemistry from the University of Kentucky in 1951 and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1954. After starting his research career at Northwestern Dr. Millman worked for Armour & Company, the New York City Health Department, and Merck Pharmaceuticals before landing at Philadelphia's Fox Chase Cancer Center in June of 1967; there he worked with Dr. Baruch Blumberg who had discovered the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), then called the Australian Antigen, the etiologic agent of Hepatitis B and thus a major cause of both acute and chronic liver disease and of hepatocellular carcinoma. While Dr. Blumberg would receive the 1976 Nobel Prize for his work it remained for Dr. Millman to provide a practical application for the finding; performing dangerous experiments with hepatitis infected blood the doctors produced a vaccine as early as 1969 though difficulties with getting a company to make it delayed marketing until 1982. A workable test for HBsAg was released in 1971 finally enabling donor centers to screen for Hepatitis B in blood products and thus limit the spread of disease. Dr. Millman received the patents for both the test and the vaccine and in 1993 was named to the Inventors Hall of Fame. He remained with Fox Chase until retirement, lived his final decade in Washington, and died of intestinal problems. At his death newborn infants were routinely vaccinated for Hepatitis B and the test for HBsAg was in universal usage.
Scientist. A virologist, his discoveries of a reliable test for and a vaccine to protect against Hepatitis B have been responsible for saving countless lives. The child of Russian immigrants, he was raised in New York City and during World War II served in the Eighth Armored Division where he received the Bronze Star for combat gallantry. Millman earned his undergraduate degree from City College of New York in 1948 and received his master's in biochemistry from the University of Kentucky in 1951 and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1954. After starting his research career at Northwestern Dr. Millman worked for Armour & Company, the New York City Health Department, and Merck Pharmaceuticals before landing at Philadelphia's Fox Chase Cancer Center in June of 1967; there he worked with Dr. Baruch Blumberg who had discovered the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), then called the Australian Antigen, the etiologic agent of Hepatitis B and thus a major cause of both acute and chronic liver disease and of hepatocellular carcinoma. While Dr. Blumberg would receive the 1976 Nobel Prize for his work it remained for Dr. Millman to provide a practical application for the finding; performing dangerous experiments with hepatitis infected blood the doctors produced a vaccine as early as 1969 though difficulties with getting a company to make it delayed marketing until 1982. A workable test for HBsAg was released in 1971 finally enabling donor centers to screen for Hepatitis B in blood products and thus limit the spread of disease. Dr. Millman received the patents for both the test and the vaccine and in 1993 was named to the Inventors Hall of Fame. He remained with Fox Chase until retirement, lived his final decade in Washington, and died of intestinal problems. At his death newborn infants were routinely vaccinated for Hepatitis B and the test for HBsAg was in universal usage.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
Inscription
Yisrael ben Yakov
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
