In May—when many in the U.S. were still asking, “What’s monkeypox?”—Joseph Osmundson offered a warning. The molecular biologist co-authored an op-ed predicting that the U.S. wasn’t prepared to contain the virus—and indeed, diagnoses soon swelled. Since then, the author of the essay collection Virology has been instrumental in guiding New York City’s vaccine distribution, helping implement a program that brings shots to places where people meet for sex and pushing for more inclusive eligibility criteria.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- What a Photographer Saw in the West Bank
- Accenture’s Chief AI Officer on Why This Is a Defining Moment
- Inside COP28's Big 'Experiment'
- U.S. Doctors Can't Be Silent About Gaza: Column
- The Movie Wives Would Like a Word
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2023
- The Top 100 Photos of 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time