LA JOLLA INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY HONORS TWO FOUNDING SCIENTISTS
Institute Names New Seminar Room in Honor of Drs. Kimishige and Teruko Ishizaka
SAN DIEGO - December 12, 2007 At the first naming ceremony in its
history, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI)
dedicated its seminar room to world-renowned immunologists Kimishige
Ishizaka, M.D., Ph.D., and his wife, Teruko Ishizaka, M.D., Ph.D., who
founded the Institute's first laboratory operations in 1989.
"The Ishizakas are not only two pioneering, brilliant scientists,
but they are also two very warm, caring and generous souls. The
Institute is very fortunate they came here," said Charles
Carpowich, Jr., executive vice president and chief operating officer of
LIAI, a nonprofit organization and one of the world's leading
immunology research centers.
The Ishizakas arrived at LIAI in 1989 from Johns Hopkins University and
are known around the globe for their groundbreaking discovery of the
IgE (immunoglobulin E) protein in 1966. IgE is a molecule that induces
allergic reactions in the human body and its discovery revolutionized
allergy research. Dr. Ishizaka became the Institute's first scientific
director in 1989 and he and his wife worked together to establish
LIAI's first laboratories. Dr. Ishizaka was appointed to the additional
office of Institute president in 1991, serving in this dual role until
his retirement in 1996. Under his leadership, LIAI quickly established
a worldwide reputation for research excellence. He is currently
President Emeritus of LIAI and also on the Board of Directors as a
Director Emeritus.
The event was highlighted by the reading of a Scroll of Special
Tribute honoring the Ishizakas. The scroll was read by long-time
Institute scientists Toshi and Yuko Kawakami, Ph.D.'s, and is encased
in glass at the entrance to the seminar room. The 157-seat auditorium
with amphitheater style seating is part of the Institute's new
state-of-the-art research facility, completed in 2006, and located in
UC San Diego's new Science Research Park.
"I hope all of the people who use this seminar room keep in mind the great contributions of these two great pioneers," said Katsuhiko Asano, Ph.D., a member of the Institute's Board of Directors.
During the ceremony, the Ishizakas were praised by numerous speakers
for their exceptional scientific leadership, positive mentoring and
insightful recruitment of outstanding scientists. However, it was their
personal style - described as inspirational, compassionate and caring -
that was emphasized most often by the speakers. "Kimi inspired people by his intellectual capacity, but also by his personal capacity," said Samuel Strober, M.D., Chairman of the LIAI Board of Directors. "He had this optimism and sense of personal happiness that he would transmit to people."
Researcher Katsuji Sugie, Ph.D., noted that Teruko Ishizaka always had an "open door" and made the Institute feel "like a family".
Other speakers remembered how Teruko helped to create a warm
environment by initiating special events for employees and their
families during the Institute's early days. "They imparted a spirit of collaboration, honesty and mutual respect that continues at the Institute to this day," said scientist Amnon Altman, Ph.D.
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from Mitchell Kronenberg,
Ph.D., LIAI president and scientific director, who also took a moment
to recount some of Dr. Ishizaka's numerous national and international
awards for scientific achievement. These include his 1983 election to
the National Academy of Sciences; the 1974 Order of Culture, Japan's
most prestigious award for a scientist; the 1985 American College of
Physicians Award for Achievement in Medical Science, and the 2000 Japan
Prize from the Science and Technology Foundation of Japan. He also
served as President of the American Association of Immunologists
(1984-85), the first foreign born individual elected to this post. The
Ishizakas currently live in their native Japan.
About La Jolla Institute
Founded in 1988, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology is a
nonprofit medical research center dedicated to increasing knowledge and
improving human health through studies of the immune system. Scientists
at the institute carry out research searching for cures for cancer,
allergy and asthma, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases such
as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis. LIAI's research
staff includes more than 100 Ph.Ds.
