S5 E1 - Alumni Story: Janine Jagger ’72

Dr. Jagger is an epidemiologist, and Professor Emeritus, at the University of Virginia School of Medicine where she was on the medical faculty for 40 years. She has a Master of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Virginia. Dr. Jagger founded the International Health Care Worker Safety Center where she advanced a new generation of safety-engineered needles and medical devices to reduce occupational infections from HIV and hepatitis and was awarded five U.S. patents on medical devices. She introduced surveillance methods documenting the impact of the new technology, culminating in national legislation - the U.S. Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000. In 2002 Dr. Jagger was named a Mac Arthur fellow for her groundbreaking work.  She has lectured nationally and internationally reaching every continent and is the author of more than 200 publications. 

 In 2013, after being diagnosed with the rare genetic disease, familial Mediterranean fever, Dr. Jagger established a non-profit foundation and engaged the patient community in the discovery of a new therapeutic strategy with the possibility of lifetime remission instead of a lifetime of unaffordable drugs. In 2004 she received the Comenius Award at Moravian which recognizes an alum who has accomplished outstanding work in their field. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from Moravian in 2018.