Dr.
Robert Seder comes to the VRC from NIAID's Laboratory
of Clinical Investigation, where he was chief of the Clinical
Immunology Section from 1997 to 2000. Dr. Seder's career
with NIAID began in 1989, when he joined the Laboratory
of Immunology as a research associate. In 1993, he moved
to the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation as chief of
the Lymphokine Regulation Unit. In 1997, he was promoted
to section chief, a position he held until 2000 when he
joined the VRC as chief of the Cellular Immunology Section.
Dr. Seder's research focuses on understanding the complicated
role of cytokines and costimulatory molecules in regulating
immune responses and using this information to design
immune-based therapies. His work also explores the use
of cytokines and costimulatory molecules as adjuvants
for use in vaccines targeted to diseases such as HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, and Leishmaniasis.
Dr. Seder graduated cum laude from Johns Hopkins University
and earned his medical degree from Tufts University,
where he graduated Alpha Omega Alpha. Upon completion
of his internal medicine residency at Cornell Medical
Center, The New York Hospital, Dr. Seder traveled to
the Washington area to begin his career with NIAID as
a full-time research associate.
In addition to his duties at the VRC, Dr. Seder serves
on the editorial boards of the International Archives
of Allergy and Immunology and the Journal of
Experimental Medicine, and was a guest editor for
the 1998/1999 Annual Review of Immunology.
He is an ad hoc reviewer for many scientific journals
such as Nature, Science, Journal of Clinical Investigation,
Immunology, and Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences USA, among others. Throughout
his career, Dr. Seder has co-authored more than 60 original
journal articles and book chapters.
Dr. Seder has also been an invited speaker at many
symposiums and conferences, where he has lectured extensively
on the human immune response, including cellular immunity,
and the requirements for developing effective vaccines
against a diverse range of human diseases.
Dr. Seder is a member of several professional societies,
including the American Society for Clinical Investigation;
the American Medical Association; the American College
of Physicians; and the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. He currently serves on the advisory
board of the Department of Bioengineering at Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine, and on the medical science review
committee of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
