Carl Nathan, R.A. Rees Pritchett Professor and chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College and co-chair of the Program in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis at Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University
Dr. Carl Nathan, R.A. has performed pioneering work in immunology, microbiology, infectious disease and global health. His work on how the immune system responds to infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis stands-out in particular, as he has defined how cytokines play a pivotal role in this disease. Dr. Nathan’s outstanding scientific achievements have led to numerous paradigm-shifts in understanding the immune response to infection and his research will continue to shape our therapeutic approaches in this area. His work has been recognized by numerous honors and awards, including membership in the US National Academy of Sciences.
Research Professor, Department of Microbiology & Professor Emeritus of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine
Dr. Jan Vilcek originally demonstrated that interferons (IFNs) protect cells from infection with isolated viral RNA, proving that the site of interferon action is intracellular. He was the first to show that IFNα and IFNβ are encoded by distinct genes, a concept that caused a reevaluation of how the host responds to viral infection. Subsequently, he focused his research on another cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), where he made outstanding achievements and contributions in understanding the effects of TNFaon the host immune response. These studies led him to develop an antibody, now named Remicade/infliximab, that has improved the lives of thousands of individuals who suffer from Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune diseases. For this work, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Scientific Director, National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Dr. John O’Shea has performed outstanding research on how cytokines transmit signals to the cell interior of T cells and innate lymphocytes so as to evoke and direct subsequent immune responses. This work has led to a better understanding of the effects of mutations in these signaling pathway genes on immune function. Among the first to clone the protein kinase JAK3, O’Shea identified its crucial role in cytokine signaling and, based in large part on this work, pharmacological Jak inhibitors have been developed as a new class of immunomodulatory drugs. He has received numerous awards, including the Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize for Research in Arthritis: the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Researcher of the Year Award and the Paul Bunn Award in Infectious Disease.
Announcing the 2020 Milstein Young Investigator Awardees
Aaron M Ring
Assistant Professor of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, United States
Elia Tait Wojno
Assistant Professor
Department of Immunology, University of Washington
Seattle, USA
Zhenyu Zhong
Assistant Professor
Department of Immunology,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, USA
Young Investigators to Watch for 2019
Here are some of the emerging scientists in the field of interferon and cytokine research:
Assistant Professor in Immunology
Dept. Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine,
JF Coordinator for BSc in Human Health and Disease, TBSI, Head of Immunobiology Research Group, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Dr. Rajsbaum performed his PhD in the laboratory of Anne O’Garra at the MRC-NIMR, London in 2009, and completed his postdoctoral training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, with Dr Adolfo Garcia-Sastre.
Dr. Sonnenberg completed his doctoral research training at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine in 2011, focusing on mucosal immunology.