The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and CSL Behring are pleased to announce Duane Wesemann, MD, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as the recipient of the 2010 Young Investigator Award.
The collaborative award, funded by an unrestricted grant from CSL Behring and administered by the AAAAI, provides $85,000 per year for three years.
The award supports the development of academic and/or clinical immunology research careers of junior faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to the study and care of patients with primary immune deficiency disease. Dr. Wesemann was selected for his research investigating why certain immune deficiencies are associated with high IgE levels.
“Supporting the next generation of allergist/immunologists is critical to ensure the future of the specialty and optimal care for our patients with primary immune deficiency. This award will ensure that Dr. Wesemann has the necessary time and resource support to pursue research into the immunology of host defenses and abnormalities of the immune system. The AAAAI is pleased to receive a grant from CSL Behring to fund this award,” said AAAAI President Mark Ballow, MD, FAAAAI.
“CSL Behring is proud to collaborate with the AAAAI on developing the Young Investigator Award and congratulates Dr. Wesemann on being the recipient. CSL Behring and the AAAAI share a mission to advance the world’s understanding of primary immune deficiency so that people who face this rare and serious condition can benefit and enjoy an enhanced quality of life,” said Garrett E. Bergman, MD, Senior Director of Medical Affairs, North America Commercial Operations at CSL Behring. “We look forward to seeing the results of Dr. Wesemann’s exciting new research made possible by this award.”
Dr. Wesemann completed his PhD at the Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He also received his MD as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at UAB. In the short time between medical school and residency, he completed six months of post-doctoral training with Dr. Max Cooper at UAB, where he was introduced to B cell biology. This introduction to the investigation of B cell biology led to his decision to carry out his research with Fred Alt, PhD, while he obtained his training in Allergy/Immunology in the Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy of the Department of Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Wesemann is currently an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research on IgE in primary immune deficiency will be conducted at the Immune Disease Institute/Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Children’s Hospital of Boston.
About AAAAI
The AAAAI represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has nearly 6,500 members in the United States, Canada and 60 other countries. To find an allergist/immunologist in your area, visit www.aaaai.org/physref.
About CSL Behring
CSL Behring is a leader in the plasma protein therapeutics industry. Committed to saving lives and improving the quality of life for people with rare and serious diseases, the company manufactures and markets a range of plasma-derived and recombinant therapies worldwide. CSL Behring therapies are indicated for the treatment of coagulation disorders including hemophilia and von Willebrand disease, primary immune deficiencies and inherited respiratory disease. The company’s products are also used in cardiac surgery, organ transplantation, burn treatment and to prevent hemolytic diseases in newborns. CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. CSL Behring is a subsidiary of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit www.cslbehring.com.
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Contact:
Megan Brown
AAAAI
(414) 272-6071
mbrown@aaaai.org
Greg Healy
U.S. Commercial Operations, CSL Behring
610-878-4841
Greg.Healy@cslbehring.com