Veniamin Iosifovich Votyakov (b. 01.08.1921, Buguruslan, Orenburg region, Russia – 18.05.2014), virus scientist. Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (1995), Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR (1978), Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (1991), Doctor of Medical Sciences (1965), Professor (1966). Member of the Great Patriotic War.
Works on chemotherapy of viral infections, comprehensive study of tick-borne encephalitis, polio eradication, improvement of preventive drugs against smallpox, rabies, herpes, tick-borne encephalitis, influenza, HIV infection, tuberculosis, etc. Under his leadership, the technology has been developed and the production of domestic nutrient media for cell cultures and a number of therapeutic and prophylactic drugs (celiac, anti-lymphocytic immunoglobulin, etc.) has been launched. The author of the scientific discovery "The phenomenon of the regulation of hyperparasitism by vertebrate immunity".
Author of more than 770 scientific papers, incl. 7 monographs, 103 inventions.
State Prize of the Republic of Belarus in 2002 for a series of works "New technologies of preventive and ecological medicine (methods for assessing the risk of the influence of harmful factors on public health, socio-hygienic monitoring, principles and biosafety system), eliminating the epidemic morbidity of mass infections, preventing immune-dependent pathology".
Awarded with the Order of the Patriotic War of the II degree (1985), the Red Star (1945), "Badge of Honor" (1961, 1966), the October Revolution (1981), medals.