Kai Kupferschmidt wins 2026 Victor Cohn Prize

Kai Kupferschmidt, a contributing correspondent for Science magazine, has been named the winner of the 2026 Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting. The judges selected Kupferschmidt from a highly competitive applicant field, and they praised his high-impact reporting on a wide range of infectious diseases, including bird flu, COVID-19, Ebola, HIV, malaria, and mpox. 

“Kupferschmidt has been a leader in tackling some of the most challenging international public health crises of our time,” said judge Cristine Russell, freelance science journalist and longtime CASW board member.

In his letter of recommendation, Science deputy news editor Martin Enserink called Kupferschmidt “one of the best medical and scientific journalists of his generation.”

Judges commended Kupferschmidt’s enterprising reporting and its influence and impact. “Kupferschmidt’s stories were clear, fair, bold and influential,” said judge Virginia Hughes, deputy investigations editor for The New York Times. 

“His feature on mpox mostly affecting men who have sex with men was extremely urgent when it came out,” said judge Shannon Palus, a features editor at Slate. “I watched it change the conversation around the disease in real time.” 

The judges also noted Kupferschmidt’s outstanding coverage of how science gets communicated in the public sphere. “His reporting on misinformation, an area where many reporters repeat the same tropes, is deft, smart, and groundbreaking,” said judge Usha Lee McFarling, director of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship program at MIT and the 2024 Cohn Prize winner.

The Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting is awarded annually by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) for a body of work published or broadcast within the last five years. Kupferschmidt will receive a $5,000 cash award and be recognized during a September 27 awards ceremony at ScienceWriters2026, a joint meeting of CASW and the National Association of Science Writers (NASW), to be held this year in Corvallis, Oregon.

The prize is underwritten by Michelson Philanthropies,  a Los Angeles-based philanthropic organization devoted to supporting underserved communities and expanding opportunity in medical research, animal welfare, educational equity, and intellectual property.

“Kai Kupferschmidt’s exceptional reporting on infectious diseases, global health, and misinformation brings clarity to some of the most complex and consequential issues in science,” said Phillip Kim, executive director of Michelson Philanthropies. “His work is a powerful reminder that rigorous, accessible science journalism isn’t just about informing the public—it can shape public health, strengthen trust, and ultimately save lives.”

Kai Kupferschmidt

Kupferschmidt is a science journalist based in Berlin. As a contributing correspondent for Science magazine, he has long covered infectious diseases and global health. He also co-hosts a German language podcast on these topics called “Pandemia.” He has written two books, one on infectious diseases and one on the science of the color blue.

Kupferschmidt has received numerous awards for his work, including the Media Prize of the German Aids Foundation and a Science in Society Award from the National Association of Science Writers. In 2023, he spent a year as an MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow studying misinformation and disinformation. The following year he was the ninth Nature Marsilius visiting professor for science communication at the University of Heidelberg.

The Victor Cohn Prize
Kupferschmidt is the 31st recipient of the Cohn prize. This year’s entries were judged by Virginia Hughes, deputy investigations editor at The New York Times; Usha McFarling, director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT and the 2024 Cohn Prize recipient; Shannon Palus, a features editor at Slate; and Cristine Russell, science journalist, former senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and longtime CASW board member. The judging was chaired by independent journalist Christie Aschwanden, vice president of CASW and author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery.

The Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting has been presented since 2000. The award honors the late Washington Post medical writer and health columnist Victor Cohn, known as the dean of medical science reporting. He distinguished himself by the clarity and effectiveness of his reporting during a 50-year career that began with outstanding coverage of early “wonder” drugs and the polio vaccine, as well as the dawn of the modern space age. Late in his career, Cohn started a Post column called “The Patient’s Advocate,” and authored a book, News & Numbers: A Guide to Reporting Statistical Claims and Controversies in Health and Other Fields. Cohn, who died of cancer in 2000, was a co-founder in 1959 of CASW.

Michelson Philanthropies 

Michelson Philanthropies is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) foundation devoted to supporting underserved communities and expanding opportunity through grantmaking, social enterprises, impact investments, and advocacy across medical research, animal welfare, educational equity, and intellectual property. Founded and co-chaired by Alya and Dr. Gary K. Michelson, the foundation comprises four operating divisions: Michelson Medical Research Foundation, Michelson Found Animals Foundation, Michelson 20MM Foundation, and Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property. Its affiliated 501(c)(4) organization, the Michelson Center for Public Policy, advances policy and advocacy efforts aligned with Michelson Philanthropies’ mission.