UCLA immunologist to speak Oct. 16   Physician and immunologist Dr. Tomas Ganz of the University of California, Los Angeles will speak Oct. 16 at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine as part of the Joy Goodwin Lecture Series. He will present “Hepcidin: An iron regulatory hormone and mediator of innate immunity” at 11 a.m. in 203 Greene Hall.   Dr. Ganz, a pioneer in antimicrobial peptide research, discovered human defensin, the first antimicrobial peptide isolated from human neutrophils. His work on defensins has changed our view on how neutrophils function in the innate immunity. He also discovered hepcidin, an antimicrobial peptide produced by the liver, and recognized that hepcidin is the long-sought hormone responsible for the regulation of iron balance and recycling in humans. This breakthrough has changed our understanding of the pathogenesis of anemia of chronic disease. In 2005, he received the Marcel Simon Award for contributions to the knowledge of iron metabolism and disorders.   Dr. Ganz is a professor of medicine and pathology and the director of the Will Rogers Institute of Pulmonary Research at the UCLA School of Medicine. He earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees from UCLA and his doctorate from the California Institute of Technology. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 research articles, 30 book chapters, and 50 review articles. Dr. Ganz serves on many government, corporate and foundation advisory panels. His research is currently supported by four NIH grants.   His presentation at Auburn is sponsored by the Joy Goodwin Lecture Series. For more information, contact Dr. Jishu Shi at 844-0726 or shijish@auburn.edu.   Return to News