Dr. Baruch S. Blumberg

The reason that World Hepatitis Day is celebrated every year on July 28 goes back almost a century. 

On that date in 1925, Baruch S. Blumberg was born in Brooklyn, New York City.

Some years later, after serving in the U.S. Navy and earning his medical degree at Columbia University, Dr. Blumberg became intrigued by parasitology. That led him to conduct research in Nigeria and, “…it eventually led to the discovery of several new polymorphisms and, in due course, the hepatitis B virus.”

For his breakthrough discovery of the hepatitis B virus, Dr. Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1976. At that time, Dr. Blumberg wrote a brief but fascinating history of his life, with a substantial addition 30 years later, which are on the Nobel Prize website here. 

Submissions for the Second Annual HepBcommunity.org Research Showcase are in and voting has begun! Hep B researchers in basic, translational, clinical, public health or social science are sharing their research to encourage dialogue between the scientific and affected communities.

You have a chance to ask questions and cast votes for the top research and even perhaps win a monetary prize for posting the best questions! Voting closes July 18. For details on how you can participate, please visit the HepBCommunity now.

Join us in welcoming Fiona Borondy-Jenkins to our team

Fiona Borondy-Jenkins, a former interns with us, has joined our staff as a public health research fellow. Here’s a bit about her.

“My interest in public health began before I started college and was the driving factor in my enrollment at Temple University. I received a BSPH in May 2022 and my MPH with a focus in Social and Behavioral Sciences in May 2023.

“During my time at Temple, I mentored youth attending Philadelphia’s public schools, worked as a behavioral health technician to a minor, and interacted with people at the global scale during my internship with the Hepatitis B Foundation. With every job, I heard different life stories and wishes, which all revolved around needing more access to health information and care. Learning about each community’s experiences has led me to pursue a career in research and community engagement. I want to amplify people’s voices by acting as a support system and I want people to see that there are external forces working to make their community and health better.

“Looking forward as a public health professional, my main goal is to work towards health equity and improving quality of and access to health information and treatments to all populations no matter socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity and gender.”

LaGrippe Research is conducting a study on the experiences of people with hepatitis delta virus (HDV). They would like to speak with people with HDV in the U.S. about their experience with the disease to learn about the effects on their lives.

The study is an online community, with monthly tasks. This could be anything from introducing yourself, to answering questions on a particular topic or looking at some information and saying what you think about it. If interested, participants can also interact anonymously with others to discuss defined topics around Hepatitis D. If you can’t get online, don’t worry they still want to hear from you – just get in touch. Each month you would need one hour. LaGrippe Research appreciates the time invested and offers each participant $125/month. Your responses will remain anonymous and be kept confidential. Your feedback will be used by the study's sponsor on how they can help HDV patients now and in the future. 

Advancing research, awareness, screening, and linkage to care to eliminate HDV in the U.S.

Glynn, M; Cohen, C; Gish, RG; Andrews, R; Trang A; Zovich, B; Hall, W; Clary, R; Balestreri, J; Scott, L; Scott, R; Jackson, T; Ntiri-Reid, B; Southworth, A;

Dieterich, D; Sepe, T

[Link to Article]



Volume 7, Issue 7, July 2023, e00168, / Published: 22 June 2023

Did you know that the hepatitis delta virus, which coinfects individuals living with hepatitis B, is the most aggressive form of viral hepatitis? Check out our new hepatitis delta roundtable article to learn more here.

July 24-26: Hep B United Summit in Washington, D.C. [by invitation]

July 28: World Hepatitis Day

Sept. 19-23: International HBV Symposium in Kobe, Japan | Register