Michael Posner Joins Sabin Vaccine Institute's Board of Trustees

Longstanding human rights champion to advocate solutions for diseases afflicting the world's poorest

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sabin Vaccine Institute today announced the election to its Board of Trustees of Michael H. Posner, Professor of Business and Society at New York University's Stern School of Business. For more than three decades, Mr. Posner has advanced the causes of inclusive global human rights, dignity, freedom and justice.

"Michael Posner is a tireless champion. He brings to Sabin an exceptional ability to catalyze action on pressing health, economic and social issues worldwide, and helps frame these issues through a broader human rights lens," said Morton P. Hyman, Chairman of Sabin. "His moral leadership and business, legal and political expertise will strengthen our efforts to empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty by enhancing their health, through increased access to essential vaccines and medicine, focusing on infectious and neglected tropical diseases."

Mr. Posner served as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. State Department from 2009 to 2013. He led Human Rights First, a non-profit, nonpartisan human rights advocacy organization based in New York and Washington, DC, from 1978 to 2009.

"I am honored to join the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which has been at the forefront of improving the lives of marginalized and neglected communities around the world," said Mr. Posner. "Good health is a fundamental human right that must be extended to the most vulnerable populations. Countries that address the basic health needs of their own people are most likely to realize their full economic and social potential."

Mr. Posner has played a major role in shaping U.S. policy from inside and outside of government on issues such as refugee and asylum law and policy, national security and human rights, Internet freedom, and business and human rights. He has been active in several leading organizations, including the Fair Labor Association, the Global Network Initiative, and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

Before joining Human Rights First, Mr. Posner was a lawyer with Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal in Chicago. He lectured at Yale Law School from 1981 to 1984, and again in 2009. He was a visiting lecturer at Columbia University Law School from 1984 to 2008. A member of the California Bar and the Illinois Bar, he received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall) in 1975, and a B.A. with distinction and honors in History from the University of Michigan in 1972.

About the Sabin Vaccine Institute

The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering. Since its founding in 1993 in honor of Dr. Albert B. Sabin, the developer of the oral polio vaccine, Sabin has been at the forefront of global efforts to eliminate, prevent, and cure infectious and neglected tropical diseases.

Sabin develops new vaccines, advocates for increased use of existing vaccines and promotes expanded access to affordable medical treatments in collaboration with governments, academic institutions, scientists, medical professionals and other non-profit organizations. For more information, please visit www.sabin.org.

SOURCE Sabin Vaccine Institute