The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) has named Helen Branswell, an infectious diseases correspondent with STAT, as the recipient of the 2026 Kovler Prize for Trust in Life Science Journalism. Ms. Branswell, a veteran health and science reporter, is known for her clear and insightful coverage of disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award is made possible through the support of the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation. “At a time when trust in science cannot be taken for granted, accurate and understandable reporting is not just good journalism. It’s a public service that empowers people to make better decisions about their own health,” said Judy Lansing Kovler, PhD, a member of the FNIH Board of Directors. “This award recognizes Ms. Branswell for her exceptional ability to clearly convey complex and often urgent science topics for the public.”

The Kovler Prize recognizes an individual who has significantly increased the public’s awareness and understanding of life sciences through a distinguished body of journalistic work. The prize, which includes a $25,000 honorarium, will be awarded at the FNIH Celebration of Science: 14th Annual FNIH Awards Ceremony on Oct. 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The Montrone-Seigel Prize in Biomedical Sciences, the Paul-Gallin Trailblazer Prize for Physician-Scientists and the Charles A. Sanders, MD, Partnership Award also will be presented.

Branswell’s journalism career spans four decades, including almost 30 years as both a reporter and editor at The Canadian Press, a national news agency. After several years covering general news and politics, she became the agency’s health reporter and wrote about topics including the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, bird flu and the West African Ebola outbreak. Branswell received the prestigious George Polk Award for Public Service for her coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and was later named a finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize alongside two colleagues at STAT for their team coverage of the pandemic. She has also reported on antibiotic resistance, sexually transmitted diseases, vaccine development and health policy.

“I’ve had the amazing good fortune to be able to ask questions of and learn from many of the smartest people studying the infectious diseases I cover,” Branswell said. “I am deeply honored that FNIH believes the work that these interviews fed into merits this prestigious prize. It is an affirmation of the role journalists play every day in providing readers with critical information about their health and public health broadly.”

A jury of prominent science, communications and academic experts selected Branswell as the Kovler Prize recipient. Jay M. Bernhardt, MPH, PhD, president of Emerson College, chaired the jury, which included Deborah Blum, MA; Willow Bay, MBA; and Jim Weiss.

The FNIH gratefully acknowledges its Celebration of Science Premier Sponsors, Fred and Donna Seigel and Perry Steiner and Vanessa Kay, and Visionary Sponsors, Sherry and Alan Leventhal and Pfizer, Inc. For more information about the Kovler Prize, visit FNIH.org/KovlerPrize.

About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health

The FNIH builds public-private partnerships that connect leading biomedical scientists at the National Institutes of Health, life sciences companies, foundations, academia, and regulatory agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Through team science, we solve complex health challenges and accelerate breakthroughs for patients, regardless of who they are or what health challenges they face. The FNIH accelerates new therapies, diagnostics, and potential cures; advances global health; and helps train the next generations of scientists. Established by Congress to support the mission of the NIH, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, please visit fnih.org.

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