Under the direction of Dr. Thomas Francis, U-M conducted clinical trials in 1954 that confirmed the effectiveness of the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk. The discovery helped to end one of the major medical scourges of the 20th century. Francis and Salk earlier developed the influenza vaccine that protected American soldiers during World War II. Fifty years after the polio trials, Dr. Hunein Maassab, a student mentored by Francis, developed the first nasal spray flu vaccine, FluMist.
— Photo and text are presented at the University of Michigan Bicentennial website
