Ohio State College of Medicine Hires Leader for Microbial Infection and Immunity

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University College of Medicine has selected Eugene Oltz as chair of the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity. He’ll join Ohio State in January.

 

Oltz will serve critical roles in expanding the national reputation of the department and fostering collaborative research between researchers and physicians within the medical center and across the university. He comes to Ohio State from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he served as professor and vice chair of the Department of Pathology and Immunology.

 

“Dr. Oltz’s research has garnered national attention that has resulted in numerous funded collaborations,” said Dr. K. Craig Kent, dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Insights from his work have inspired translational goals, including the design of precision epigenetic therapeutics. Also, his focus on mentoring over 100 clinical and research faculty aligns with our strategic plan and educational mission.” 

 

A highly regarded researcher and guest lecturer, Oltz’s studies focus on the genetic changes that occur in normal immune cells that lead to autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, or immune-related tumors, such as lymphoma. He’s led National Institutes of Health-funded programs for 23 years and held more than 20 federal grants as principal investigator. He’s currently leading four active NIH-funded research projects.

 

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead such a great group of faculty and trainees, and am excited to build on the momentum as we work toward making the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity a hub for the infection and immunology communities at Ohio State and beyond,” Oltz said. 

 

Oltz serves as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Immunology and is a member of the board of the Aging Biology Foundation. He’s held multiple leadership roles in the American Association of Immunologists and received the association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2017. Additionally, he’s served on multiple NIH study sections, including chair of the Cellular and Molecular Immunology review panel.

 

Oltz received his PhD in Chemistry from Columbia University and completed post-doctoral fellowships at Columbia and Harvard University. Prior to his appointment at Washington University, he was a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

 

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