Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology Director, Dr. Warner Greene. [Photo: Chris Goodfellow]

 

Warner Greene, MD, PhD, the Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, was recently elected into The American Academy of Arts and Sciences for his outstanding contributions to basic science research. The Academy’s class of 2014 has 204 members. The class includes winners of the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes; MacArthur, Guggenheim, and Fulbright Fellowships; and Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

“It is a privilege to honor these men and women for their extraordinary individual accomplishments,” said Don Randel, Chair of the Academy’s Board of Directors. “The knowledge and expertise of our members give the Academy a unique capacity – and responsibility – to provide practical policy solutions to the pressing challenges of the day. We look forward to engaging our new members in this work.”

Dr. Greene is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the American Society for Clinical Investigation, a fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and Past President of the Association of American Physicians. He has been recognized as one of the 100 Most Cited Scientists in the world.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,” said Dr. Greene.

The ongoing research in Dr. Greene’s laboratory focuses on understanding HIV pathogenesis, latency, and transmission. His most recent work has led to fundamental changes in our understanding of how specific types of immune cells are killed in people infected with HIV. His findings could help generate a new class of anti-HIV medicines that target how our bodies respond to HIV infection, rather than attacking the virus itself.

In 2013, Dr. Greene became the executive chairman of the Accordia Global Health Foundation, whose mission is to overcome the burden of infectious diseases by building healthcare capacity and strengthening academic medical institutions in Africa.

“Throughout its history, the Academy has elected people who contribute to knowledge and to change. In Warner Greene, they have found another such citizen dedicated to eradicating this century’s plague. We are proud of his accomplishments and fortunate to include him as a leader and investigator,” says President R. Sanders Williams.

Since its founding in 1780, the Academy has served the nation as a champion of scholarship, civil dialogue, and useful knowledge. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners. As one of the nation’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, the Academy convenes leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to address critical challenges facing our global society. A complete list of new members, as well as the Academy’s new release, can be found on the Academy’s web site.