Lorenzo Leggio, M.D., Ph.D.
Lorenzo Leggio, M.D., Ph.D. is a 2023 recipient of the Arthur S. Flemming Award for his exceptional service as a Federal Employee. Dr. Leggio received his award in a ceremony on November 14, 2024. The Flemming Awards are managed by the George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and recipients include many notable figures including Neil Armstrong and Anthony Fauci. Dr. Leggio was recognized for his groundbreaking research in addiction science at the NIDA IRP. Congratulations, Dr. Leggio!
About Dr. Leggio
Lorenzo Leggio, M.D., Ph.D. – National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
As a physician-scientist at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Lorenzo Leggio has pioneered translational work and provided extraordinary leadership in addiction science. His innovative contributions range from preclinical research using both in vitro and in vivo models, to human studies, including clinical trials in patients with substance use disorders. He has also championed large population-based studies and community-based outreach, education, and clinical research. Dr. Leggiobelongs to the rare breed of physician-scientists, critically important for thebiomedical field, working to address clinically relevant questions, directed toward new treatment discoveries and translating these into clinical practice. He has shown entrepreneurial creativity and breakthrough thinking by studying gut-brain and other neuroendocrine pathways in the context of addiction and neuropsychopharmacology. Dr. Leggio leads a team that has introduced novel concepts in addiction science by providing translational evidence that peripheral neuroendocrine systems (e.g., ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1, aldosterone) may play a causal role in the development and maintenance of addiction. These systems serve as targets toward the development of novel pharmacotherapies for patients with alcohol and substance use disorders.
About the award’s history
Established in 1948, the Flemming Awards honor outstanding federal employees. Recognized by the president of the United States, agency heads and the private sector, the winners are selected from all areas of the federal service. The George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration coordinates the awards and hosts an annual award presentation ceremony, which was held on November 13, 2024 this year. Notable recipients of the Flemming Awards includeDaniel Patrick Moynihan, Paul Volcker Jr., John Chancellor, Neil Armstrong, Mary Elizabeth Hanford (now Elizabeth Dole), Robert Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Francis Collins, and William Phillips.
Read more about Dr. Leggio and this year’s other recipients here.
