Pritzker News
Dr. David S. Wilkes to Present Bowman Society Lecture
David S. Wilkes, MD, FACP
The Art and Science of Lung Transplantation
Thursday, March 6, 2008
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine – 4th Floor Atrium
February 8 , 2008 — David S. Wilkes, MD, FACP will present the Bowman Society Lecture on Thursday, March 6 at 5:30 p.m. in the 4th Floor Atrium of the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine.
David S. Wilkes, MD is the Dr. Calvin H. English Professor of Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. In addition to serving as the Director for the Center for Immunobiology and Indiana University, he also serves on the National Advisory Council of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the American Thoracic Society.
Dr. Wilkes received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. He completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital and Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship training at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Wilkes' research is focused on understanding the immunopathogenesis of lung transplant rejection. Lung transplantation is a commonly utilized modality for the treatment of end stage pulmonary diseases. However, the lung is rejected more commonly than other solid organ allografts. Repeated acute rejection episodes result in chronic rejection known as bronchiolitis obliterans, the leading cause of death in lung allograft recipients.
The Wilkes laboratory uses a model of lung transplantation in rats and several murine models, as well as in vitro studies to examine: Mechanisms of col(V)-induced tolerance to lung transplants, induction of regulatory T cells in this process, the signaling cascades unique to regulatory T cells, and the regulation of IDO expression in lung dendritic cells. It is the ultimate goal of these studies to understand lung allograft rejection as the molecular level such that therapeutic modalities may be developed to improve the survival of the lung transplant recipient.
The Bowman Society lectures highlight medical research issues and topics that are important to the health care of minority communities. Sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Bowman Society Lecture Series commenced in 2005 through the generous support of Dr. James E. Bowman, Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Pathology and Medicine, and the Biological Sciences Division’s first tenured African-American Professor.
For more information on past lecturers, please visit the Bowman Society page.
