Herbert L. DuPont, M.D., is a distinguished physician, researcher, and academic leader whose career has been defined by pioneering contributions to the understanding, prevention, and treatment of infectious diarrheal diseases. Born in Toledo, Ohio, he earned his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1961 and his M.D. from Emory University in 1965. Dr. DuPont completed his internship and residency in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, where his clinical mentors instilled in him a lifelong dedication to infectious-disease research. He then served as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developing his expertise in epidemiology and pathogen investigation.

In 1973, Dr. DuPont joined the University of Texas Medical School at Houston as a Professor of Medicine and the inaugural Director of the Program in Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. He later became Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases and, since 1988, has held the Mary W. Kelsey Distinguished Chair in the Medical Sciences. Concurrently, he has maintained faculty appointments at Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and serves as Chief of Internal Medicine at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital.

A groundbreaking researcher, Dr. DuPont has significantly expanded our understanding of diarrheal diseases. In 1971, he played a key role in characterizing the Norwalk virus (later termed human norovirus) and elucidated the pathogenesis of Escherichia coli–induced diarrhea in highly cited publications in the New England Journal of Medicine. His research spans a spectrum of enteric pathogens—including Shigella, rotavirus, Salmonella Typhi, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Giardia lamblia—and extends to the evaluation of rifaximin for travelers’ diarrhea and the elucidation of waterborne viral risks in developing regions such as Mexico.

Dr. DuPont is also a prolific author, with over 500 peer-reviewed articles and more than 17 books to his credit. His leadership in professional societies is equally notable—he served as President of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the American Clinical and Climatological Association, and was the founding President of the International Society for Travel Medicine. His excellence in research, mentorship, and education has been widely recognized, including with prestigious honors such as the Maxwell Finland Award and the Alexander Fleming Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Infectious Diseases Society of America.