Dr. McLellan, Welch Chair in Chemistry and professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences, has been awarded the Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research and the NAS Award in Molecular Biology for his pioneering work in the molecular and structural biology of viral surface proteins, receiving a $100,000 prize, bronze sculpture, medal and $25,000 respectively; his work has earned him various other awards including the O'Donnell Award in Medicine for 2022 from TAMEST, recognition as Young Investigator in Virology, Outstanding Alumnus at Wayne State University, the inaugural McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact recipient at Dartmouth, and Texas Inventor of the Year in 2021.
Catherine J. Murphy, chair of the Welch Foundation Scientific Advisory Board, praised McLellan's innovative research and stated that every American vaccinated against COVID-19 has directly benefited from his work; McLellan expressed his honor and vowed to continue efforts in biochemical vaccine design and future development.