The powerful stories written and pioneering research conducted by the 2022 NIHCM Journalism and Research Award winners explores the origins of COVID-19, the health impact of environmental hazards, poverty and discrimination on health, as well as controversial new treatments, and the link between health care coverage and health outcomes.
"Congratulations to the winners of the 28th Annual NIHCM Awards. Their intrepid reporting and research inspires us all, as they uncovered new evidence and insights into how we can improve health for people in all walks of life."
Nancy Chockley
Founding President and CEO of NIHCM
2022 General Circulation Journalism Award
Adam Feuerstein
Damian Garde
Matthew Herper
Nicholas Florko
NIHCM 2022 Investigative and General Reporting Award Winner
Vital, important coverage of the most contentious drug approval in decades
Adam Feuerstein, Damian Garde, Matthew Herper, Nicholas Florko
Prize: $20,000
“Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating diagnosis for patients and their caregivers. Treatments are desperately needed, but only if they’re safe and effective. Our reporting showed how Biogen used back channels and covert lobbying to win FDA approval for its controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, later sparking a federal investigation. We also brought readers deep into Biogen itself, revealing how Aduhelm’s polarizing approval and disastrous commercial rollout has fractured the company’s leadership and plunged it into financial crisis.”
— Adam Feuerstein
2022 Television and Radio Journalism Award
Jane McMullen
Dan Edge
NIHCM 2022 Television and Audio Journalism Award Winner
China's COVID Secrets
Jane McMullen, Alex Mattholie, Stephanie Stafford, and Dan Edge
Prize: $20,000
“We went into production on China's COVID Secrets in spring 2020, just as the pandemic began to unfold around the world. The questions at its heart - what the Chinese authorities knew about COVID-19 and whether opportunities to stop its spread were missed - only became more relevant over time. It’s a tremendous honor to see our FRONTLINE reporting recognized by NIHCM, and we are so pleased that this documentary could shine new light on these critical events.”
— Reporting team
2022 Digital Media Award
Lylla Younes
Al Shaw
Ava Kofman
Lisa Song
Max Blau
Maya Miller
Kiah Collier
Ken Ward Jr.
Alyssa Johnson
Lucas Waldron
Kathleen Flynn
NIHCM 2022 Data-Driven Storytelling Award Winner
Sacrifice Zones: Mapping Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution
Lylla Younes, Al Shaw, Ava Kofman, Lisa Song, Max Blau, Maya Miller, Kiah Collier, Ken Ward Jr., Alyssa Johnson, Lucas Waldron, Kathleen Flynn
Prize: $20,000
“As a result of our Sacrifice Zones series, which exposed how failures in the implementation of the Clean Air Act have led to the formation of toxic hotspots nationwide, communities across the country have successfully campaigned for health assessments, and Congress has proposed a $500M air monitoring bill.”
— Lylla Younes
2022 Trade Journalism Award
Gretchen Vogel
Kai Kupferschmidt
NIHCM 2022 Trade Journalism Award Winner
A rare but real side effect: How scientists recognized deadly complications after the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines
Gretchen Vogel and Kai Kupferschmidt
Prize: $15,000
“When reports of rare but serious side effects of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine first emerged, we knew it was crucial to quickly gather the available information and explain it carefully. Understanding such effects is essential, and we wanted to give readers, faced with a flood of misinformation, a solid foundation.”
— Gretchen Vogel and Kai Kupferschmidt
Amy Maxmen
NIHCM 2022 Trade Journalism Honorable Mention
Inequality's Deadly Toll: A century of research has demonstrated how poverty and discrimination drive disease. Can Covid push science to finally address the issue?
Amy Maxmen
Prize: $5,000
2022 Research Award
Jacob Goldin
Ithai Z. Lurie
Janet McCubbin
NIHCM 2022 Research Award Winner
Health insurance and mortality: Experimental evidence from taxpayer outreach
Jacob Goldin, Ithai Z. Lurie, Janet McCubbin
Prize: $20,000
“We were fortunate to have the opportunity to study such an important policy, and to see the results inform the design of future outreach efforts as well as broader questions about the value of health insurance.”
— Jacob Goldin, Ithai Z. Lurie, and Janet McCubbin
Congratulate our winners and share their stories! #NIHCMAwardsJournalism #NIHCMAwardsResearch
NIHCM also provides $1 million in grants each year to support the work of journalists and researchers. We invite you to learn more.
The winning entries were selected from more than 400 entries by our panels of independent judges. As is the case every year, we received many remarkable entries. Learn more about the finalists' impressive work.
our Judges
A special thank you to our judges listed below.
2022 General Circulation Journalism Award
- Eliza Barclay
- John Carreyrou
- Ceci Connolly
- John Fauber
- Clifton Leaf
- Fred Schulte
- William Wan
2022 Television and Radio Journalism Award
- Callie Crossley
- Susan Dentzer
- Gisele Grayson
- Stone Phillips
- Alice Irene Pifer
- Julie Rovner
- Susan Wagner
2022 Digital Media Award
- Julia Belluz
- Aaron Carroll
- Christopher J. Conover
- Michael Millenson
- Alan Murray
- Sabriya Rice
- Meredith White
2022 Trade Journalism Award
- Eliza Barclay
- John Carreyrou
- Ceci Connolly
- John Fauber
- Clifton Leaf
- Fred Schulte
- William Wan
2022 Research Award
- Laurence C. Baker
- Tsung-Mei Cheng
- Sherry Glied
- Vicky Gregg
- Joseph P. Newhouse
- Mark Pauly
- Gail R. Wilensky