Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice Honored with Healthcare Champions Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine, has been selected to receive the 2025 Healthcare Champions Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, recognizing her exceptional contributions to healthcare and commitment to health equity.

As the first woman to lead Morehouse School of Medicine, Montgomery Rice has dedicated her career to addressing healthcare disparities and promoting medical access for underserved and minority populations worldwide. Her strategic leadership extends beyond traditional academic boundaries, directly impacting global health outcomes in developing and emerging countries.

In addition to her academic leadership, Montgomery Rice serves as a Special Advisor to GeoVax Labs' Chairman, CEO, and Board of Directors. Her expertise aligns closely with the company's mission to develop innovative vaccines and immunotherapies targeting vulnerable populations.

GeoVax's current product pipeline reflects this commitment, including a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals, an Mpox/Smallpox vaccine, and Gedeptin®, an immunotherapy for solid tumors that disproportionately impact minority communities.

The Healthcare Champions Lifetime Achievement Award represents a significant acknowledgment of Montgomery Rice's sustained efforts to transform medical education and healthcare accessibility. She will be formally honored at the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Health Care Champion Awards ceremony on March 20, 2025.