Tanya N. Mayadas has been selected as the next Chair of the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Director of the new Institute for Immunological Sciences.
The appointment, which is effective Aug. 1, represents a homecoming for the Indian American leader in innate immunity and vascular biology, according to a university news release.
Mayadas received her BA in Biology (1983) and PhD in Biochemistry (1989) from the University of Rochester, followed by a joint postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tufts University.
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Since 1993, she has served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School—a tenured Professor of Pathology since 2010—and as a staff scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the Department of Pathology.
“Dr. Mayadas’ deep roots at the University of Rochester and her impressive academic track record will be invaluable as we seek to expand collaborative research initiatives across disciplines,” said David Linehan, MD, CEO of URMC and Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. “I’m very excited about the future, and Dr. Mayadas will help us build on the strength we already have in immunology to create a new Institute with national and international prominence.”
“I am energized by the opportunity to advance immunology at URMC under Dr. Linehan’s commitment and resources to establish a world-class Institute for Immunological Sciences,” said Mayadas. “Equally compelling is the enthusiastic support from chairs and directors to make translational immunology a central pillar of the Institute’s mission.
The Mayadas lab investigates how innate immune cells—neutrophils and monocytes—are recruited from the bloodstream into tissues during inflammation, engulf and destroy threats, and inadvertently cause tissue injury in autoimmune diseases and cancer.
A central focus of her research is antibody-driven glomerulonephritis, a leading cause of kidney failure, and her lab has identified receptors and signaling pathways in neutrophils that coordinate immune cell entry, activation, and organ damage.
Mayadas showed that one family of these receptors can flip neutrophils into antigen-presenting cells, rallying cancer-killing T cells, a promising immunotherapy avenue, and potentially fueling autoimmune flare-ups in lupus.
Her lab also explored the vascular side of inflammation: how blood vessels modulate permeability to maintain fluid balance yet become hyperpermeable in conditions including sepsis, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Her research has been recognized by continuous NIH funding for over 30 years, and awards such as the Lupus Research Alliance Distinguished Innovator award.
Home to over 20 research labs, researchers within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology have pioneered vaccine development and evaluation, including the HPV, influenza, and Covid vaccines, and how cancer-killing T cells can be guided to tumors. Research spans host-pathogen interactions, the microbiome, immune regulation, and translational immunology.
Mayadas will continue to strengthen and expand the department’s existing areas of excellence while strategically integrating them with the Institute.
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Mayadas will serve as the inaugural Director of the Institute for Immunological Sciences. Mayadas envisions “building a world-class immunology institute by recruiting experts in key immune cell types, advancing systems immunology to uncover complex immune networks and therapeutic targets.”
Providing rich training opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows, the Institute will foster cross-disciplinary research to address chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation in autoimmune and allergic diseases, cancer immune evasion, and age-related immune decline, according to the release.
The Institute will create University-wide partnerships to bridge foundational science and clinical translation through team science and develop the industry-academic partnerships necessary to accelerate innovation, enhance community engagement, visibility, and philanthropic support.