Rafi Ahmed, PhD, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Vaccine Research, Emory University, will be the final presenter in the 2016 Senior Vice Chancellor’s Laureate Lecture Series, a yearlong program highlighting top biomedical researchers in their fields. Ahmed’s lecture, “T-Cell Memory and Exhaustion: Implications for Cancer Immunotherapy,” will take place at noon, on Thursday, November 17, in Lecture Room 6, Scaife Hall.

A reception with light refreshments will follow the talk.

Ahmed’s research has shaped our understanding of memory T-cell differentiation and anti-viral T- and B-cell immunity. He investigates the processes behind immunological memory in order to develop more effective vaccines for disease prevention and treatment. Ahmed and colleagues work to define the mechanisms governing T-cell exhaustion during chronic viral infections and cancer occurrence. They also seek to restore function in exhausted T cells.

The Ahmed lab works to identify cellular molecules that regulate the generation and maintenance of CD8 and CD4 T-cell and humoral immunity. It also develops strategies to restore function in virus-specific T cells during a chronic viral infection. Finally, Ahmed’s lab works to understand humoral memory development and maintenance, among other pursuits.

Ahmed received his bachelor’s degree from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, followed by a second BS and an MS degree from Idaho State University. He earned his PhD in microbiology and molecular genetics at Harvard University and was a research fellow at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards and is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Microbiology, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Medicine.