Yale Immunobiologist Receives Prestigious Award

Ruslan Medzhitov, professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, will receive the American Association of Immunologists-BD Biosciences Investigator Award as an early-career investigator who has made outstanding contributions to the field of immunology.

The award will be presented at the organization’s annual meeting in Boston May 12-16 for his research that centers on molecular mechanisms of innate immune recognition. In particular, Medzhitov is interested in the recently identified family of Toll-like receptors, which play an essential role in innate immune recognition in both mammals and insects.

His laboratory also is investigating control of adaptive immune responses by innate immune recognition, and mechanisms of autoimmunity and allergy. Excessive inflammation, or inflammation in the absence of infection, may lead to a variety of pathological sates, including autoimmunity and allergy. Medzhitov and his colleagues are studying the cellular and molecular basis of inflammatory disorders that are caused by the dysfunctions of the innate immune system.

Since 1994, the American Association of Immunologists has recognized an early career investigator who has made outstanding contributions to the field of immunology. This award has been co-sponsored since 1998 by BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Biosciences.