"As my work took on greater relevance to diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis, I naturally grew closer to the clinical implications of such work and was eager to associate myself with rheumatologists working on the human form of the disease," explains Weigert. "My research had been conducted using mouse models of autoimmune disease and although there are many similarities between the mouse and human forms of SLE, I clearly needed to learn more about the scope of the disease in humans."

Weigert took this opportunity to join the Division, where he hopes to implement translational aspects of his research and develop an institute that will attract molecular biologists interested in applying modern molecular techniques to the genetics and gene regulation of lupus.

"I hope that the institute will be fully developed soon so we can begin to form close ties to other areas within the BSD, such as rheumatology research, SLE research, multiple sclerosis research, and kidney disease research," says Weigert. "With the unique presence of researchers and clinicians on campus, the University of Chicago is an ideal place to form such alliances, alliances I believe will be key in the discovery of how these diseases work and how best to treat them in their human forms."

While Weigert has dedicated his career to his particular field of research, he has also demonstrated his commitment to academic biomedicine as a teacher by challenging undergraduate students to think independently and critically on key issues in current research. When Weigert made the transition from Princeton to Chicago, he realized that although there may be extreme differences between the two institutions, one constant is the excellence and curiosity of the undergraduate students. While at Princeton, he developed a course with IBM Researcher Dr. Philip Seiden, who earned both his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from the University of Chicago, that utilized a cellular automaton-based immune system simulation called IMMSIM. This program was becoming an extremely important tool in research, and Weigert found that it was also a very powerful teaching tool both for immunology and for inspiring student-initiated, in silico experiments. Over the years students were able to carry out experiments on such topics as vaccine efficiency, optimal transplant strategies, and improving ways of taking HIV drugs, and many of these efforts led to the publication of papers in immunological journals. After a year of teaching "Immuno-logic: A Systems Approach" at the University of Chicago, Weigert has been impressed with the student response.

"I have been extremely impressed by the quality of the undergraduate students in my class," says Weigert. "My experience has been that the students here are even better than the ones I taught at Princeton, and the response to the 'Immuno-logic' course has been extremely positive. I am looking forward to teaching this course again in the spring."

Novel Approaches to Research and Teaching
Before arriving at the University of Chicago, Martin Weigert, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Director of the Gwen Knapp Center for Lupus and Immunology Research was a faculty member in Princeton's Department...

The Pritzker Initiative
The Pritzker School of Medicine has begun such a process of curriculum reevaluation, the Pritzker Initiative: A Curriculum for the 21st Century, as a means of creating a system of education that fully reflects the last ten years of biomedical discovery...

BSD Breaks Ground on the Center for Biomedical Discovery
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Center for Biomedical Discovery (CBD) took place on October 17, 2005, marking an exciting point in the timeline for construction of this new facililty...

DEVELOPMENT
Reaching over $467 million this fall, the Spark Discovery, Illuminate Life campaign is instrumental in supporting research and discoveries in all aspects of science and medicine...

SPOTLIGHT ON: GI Oncology
In August 2005, the GI Oncology program received start-up funding through the Practice Plan's Dean's Initiative...

FOREFRONT
The University of Chicago Practice Plan (UCPP) engaged in activities over the past year to further the Clinical Aims and improve clinical practice...

ACCOLADES
Recent Awards and Grants Information for Biological Sciences Division Faculty

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Recent Recruitemnts and Appointments of Biological Sciences Division Faculty

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