Thomas Francis
Type: Person
As of November 2026, Thomas Francis has been mentioned in one podcast episode on American History Tellers (Jan 2026). Leads oversight and statistical evaluation of the 1954 field trials and delivers the definitive 1955 report declaring the vaccine safe and effective.
Thomas Francis Jr. was an American physician, virologist, and epidemiologist who guided the discovery and development of the polio vaccine being worked on by his student Jonas Salk. Francis was the first person to isolate influenza virus in the United States, and in 1940 showed that there are other strains of influenza, and took part in the development of influenza vaccines.
| Mentioned in | 1 episode on 1 podcast (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|
| First heard | Jan 2026 on American History Tellers |
| Role | Epidemiologist; physician-scientist |
| Affiliation | University of Michigan (School of Public Health / evaluation center) |
Who talks about Thomas Francis on podcasts?
Thomas Francis came up; the most recent mention was Jan 2026 on American History Tellers.
What is Thomas Francis mentioned alongside?
Worked with: Basil O'Conor