Nobel Laureate Immunologists Address Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute Symposium

Jul 12, 2012

Professors Peter Doherty and Jules Hoffman,  spoke at a special symposium on Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute on Tuesday, July 10th last.

In the talks Professors Doherty and Hoffmann described their journey to the Nobel Prize and their latest research.  The two Nobel Laureates were joined in the symposium by three other prominent immunologists, Dr Mike Lenardo of the National Institutes of Health, USA, TCD SFI Stokes Professor of Translational Immunology,  Padraic Fallon of Trinity’s School of Medicine and Professor Doreen Cantrell from the University of Dundee,  who discussed the  frontier areas of biomedical research.  

The symposium was organised by Academic Director of the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute and Professor of Biochemistry and Immunology at TCD, Luke O'Neill. “We were delighted to welcome Peter and Jules, two of the world’s leading immunologists to the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute in advance of their participation in the Euroscience Open Forum/ Dublin City of Science 2012 conference,” stated Professor O'Neill. “The event was a very stimulating discussion on how science is being brought to bear on the effort to find new treatments for many diseases.”

Professor Peter Doherty speaking at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Instirute
Immunology Symposium.

Professor Peter Doherty is an Australian veterinary surgeon and researcher in the field of medicine. He is currently the Michael F. Tamer Chair of Biomedical Research at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee and Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf M. Zinkernagel in 1996 for the discovery of how our immune systems fight viruses such as influenza virus. Professor Doherty was also recently conferred with a Doctor in Medicine (M.D) at a  special honorary degree ceremony at Trinity College Dublin to mark ESOF and the Dublin City of Science 2012.

Professor Jules Hoffmann is a Luxembourgish-born French biologist and professor at the University of Strasbourg. He is a research director and member of the board of administrators of the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) in Strasbourg, France. In 2007, he became President of the French Academy of Sciences. Together with Bruce Beutler, Professor Hoffmann received one-quarter of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of fundamental processes in innate immunity common to all animals and plants.

Click here to view RTE Six One News item on the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute Symposium Immunology Symposium (at 19.08 minutes)