Lewis L. Lanier

Lewis L. Lanier, Ph.D., of Santa Rosa, California, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Tech in 1975. He went on to earn a doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 

Lanier joined the faculty of University of San Francisco in 1999. He is currently an American Cancer Society Professor and J. Michael Bishop M.D. Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Microbiology and Immunology at University of California San Francisco and is Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. His research group studies Natural Killer cells, which recognize and eliminate cells that have become transformed or infected by viruses.

Prior to this, Lanier held positions at DNAX Research Institute, where he advanced to director of immunology, and the research and development department at the Becton Dickinson Monoclonal Center, advancing to associate director.

In recognition of his professional contributions, Lanier was awarded the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic Tumor Immunology from the Cancer Research Institute; received the Rose Payne Award for contributions to the field of Immunogenetics by the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics; and was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as President of the American Association of Immunologists, receiving the AAI Excellence in Mentoring Award and later the AAI Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lanier is a member of Virginia Tech’s Legacy Society.