Research

Research Priorities: Medicine, immunology, cell biology, immune system, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis

Diane Mathis is an American physician and immunologist. Her research concerns T cells, which play an important role in the human immune system while also contributing to the onset of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes.

T cells are formed in the bone marrow. During childhood, they are provided with special receptors in the thymus and – in simple terms – programmed for pathogens foreign to the body. T cells wander through the organism and constantly monitor the membrane composition of the body’s cells for disease-related changes. These cells, also called T lymphocytes, play an important role in the onset of autoimmune diseases.

Diane Mathis and her team research the connection between the maturation of T cells in the thymus, the molecular and cellular influences, and the development of autoimmune diseases. These diseases include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and APECED, a very rare illness that generally affects several organs. Mathis’ goal is to transfer insights from genetic and immunological preclinical research on mice models to medical practice in order to develop new forms of therapy.

Career

• since 2011 Morton Grove-Rasmussen Professor of Immunohematology, Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• 2010-2013 Founding Director, Division of Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• 2009-2011 Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• 2008 Visiting Professor, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
• 2003-2012 Head, JDRF Center on Immunological Tolerance in T1, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
• 1999-2009 Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and Research Director, Section on Immunology and Immunogenetics, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, USA
• 1989-1999 Head, Research, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes Strasbourg (since 1990: Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC)), National Institute of Health and Medical Research Institut (INSERM), France
• 1983-1989 Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes (LGME) Straßbourg, National Institute of Health and Medical Research Institut (INSERM), France
• 1981-1983 Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical School, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
• 1977-1981 Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes (IGBMC), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
• 1977 Doctorate, University of Rochester, New York, USA

Functions

• since 2020 Member, Louis-Jeantet Prize selection committee, Louis-Jeantet Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland
• since 2019 Member, External Advisory Committee, Colton Center for Autoimmunity, Yale University, New Haven, USA
• since 2019 Member, Board of Trustees, Rockefeller University, New York City, USA
• since 2016 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, AMGEN Inc., Munich, Germany
• 2015-2019 Member, Advisory Committee, Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
• since 2013 Chairperson, Immunosciences Scientific Advisory Board, Pfizer Inc., New York City, USA
• since 2006 Associate Member, Broad Institute, Cambridge, USA
• since 2005 Member, Faculty, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, USA
• since 2005 Member, Scientific Review Board, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Chevy Chase, USA
• 2001-2010 Member, Scientific Advisory Board, RIKEN Institute, Yokohama, Japan
• 1996-1999 President, Fellowship Committee, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Honours and Memberships

• 2019 Barcroft Medal, University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 2018 Rabbi Shai Shacknai Memorial Award in Immunology and Cancer Research, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
• 2017 Excellence in Science Award, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, USA
• 2016 FASEB Excellence in Science Award, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), USA
• since 2012 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA
• 2012 Naomi Berrie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Diabetes Research, Columbia University, New York City, USA
• since 2007 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• since 2003 Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
• since 1999 Member, American Diabetes Association, USA
• since 1999 Member, American Association of Immunologists, USA
• 1993 Romancon Prize, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM), Paris, France
• since 1992 Member, Academia Europea
• since 1990 Member, EMBO