Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2025 Healthcare Champions Lifetime Achievement Award by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, acknowledging her transformative contributions to global healthcare equity. The award recognizes her exceptional dedication to addressing health disparities and promoting medical access for marginalized populations.
As the first woman to lead Morehouse School of Medicine, Montgomery Rice has pioneered medical education and research strategies targeting diseases that disproportionately impact underserved communities. Her strategic approach extends beyond domestic boundaries, influencing healthcare outcomes in developing and emerging nations.
In December 2022, Montgomery Rice expanded her impact by joining GeoVax Labs as a Special Advisor to the Chairman, CEO, and Board of Directors. Her expertise aligns closely with the biotechnology company's mission to develop innovative vaccines and immunotherapies addressing critical health challenges for vulnerable populations.
GeoVax's current product pipeline reflects this commitment, including a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine specifically designed for immunocompromised individuals, an Mpox/Smallpox vaccine targeting global health crises, and Gedeptin®, an innovative immunotherapy for solid tumors that predominantly affect minority populations.
David Dodd, GeoVax's Chairman and CEO, emphasized the significance of Montgomery Rice's contributions, stating that her strategic healthcare insight and unwavering commitment to health equity perfectly complement the company's mission of developing treatments for the most vulnerable global communities.
The formal recognition of Montgomery Rice's achievements will occur during the Atlanta Business Chronicle's second annual Health Care Champion Awards ceremony on March 20, 2025. Her lifetime of work represents a critical milestone in advancing healthcare access, education, and equity for marginalized populations worldwide.
