SAN DIEGO – (September 16, 2010) The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has promoted internationally recognized scientist Michael Croft, Ph.D., to lead its Division of Immune Regulation, which researches innovative ways to use the power of the immune system to fight disease.
Immune Regulation is one of five research divisions at the La Jolla Institute, a world leader in immunology research and San Diego’s only research institution focused on solving immune system disorders, ranging from type 1 (juvenile) diabetes to infectious diseases to cancer.
“For 15 years, Dr. Croft has been one of the most productive and respected scientists at the La Jolla Institute,” said Institute President and Chief Scientific Officer Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., in announcing Dr. Croft’s promotion. “He has built an international reputation in the field of immune cell co-stimulation, which is key to developing new treatments for many immune-mediated diseases. This includes his findings on a cellular mechanism for the treatment of asthma that are the basis for clinical trials now underway.”
A longtime faculty member, Dr. Croft said he was honored by the appointment. “To be named to this group of highly respected scientists, who are the Institute’s leaders, is a real honor,” he said. As Division Head, Dr. Croft will work closely with other faculty members to advance a wide range of research initiatives. These include the work of Chris Benedict, Ph.D., who focuses on how the immune system responds to viruses, and Don Newmeyer, Ph.D, who studies the process of cell death, which has implications for combating cancer as well as viruses and autoimmune diseases.
Dr. Croft received his BSc in Biology from Brunel University in London, U.K, and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Sussex University in the U.K. In 1989, he moved to the Biology Department of the University of California, San Diego. In 1996, Dr. Croft joined the Immunochemistry Division of the La Jolla Institute as Assistant Member, and was appointed as an Associate Member in 2001. Dr. Croft became a tenured faculty member in 2003.
Dr. Croft has served as a member of the National Institutes of Health grant review study sections, and on many special emphasis panels for the NIH and for several foreign Immunology organizations. Dr. Croft is also an American Cancer Society Research Scholar, an Arthritis Foundation Investigator and was an Associate Editor for the Journal of Immunology.
About La Jolla Institute
Founded in 1988, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology is a biomedical research nonprofit focused on improving human health through increased understanding of the immune system. Its scientists carry out research seeking new knowledge leading to the prevention of disease through vaccines and the treatment and cure of infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, Crohn’s disease and asthma. La Jolla Institute’s research staff includes more than 100 Ph.D.s and M.D.s.
To learn more about the Institute’s work, visit www.liai.org.
