We were pleased to host Dr. Jonathan Wilson Yewdell, Head of the Cellular Biology and Viral Immunology Section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, for a WISE/LP Seminar.
Dr. Yewdell received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and is internationally recognized for his pioneering work bridging immunology, virology, and cell biology. His foundational discoveries in the MHC class I antigen-processing pathway have greatly advanced our understanding of immune recognition of viral infection and cancer, and he is also widely known for his essays for early-career scientists.
In his seminar, Dr. Yewdell discussed the development of the “DRiPs hypothesis,” which posits that defective ribosomal products are a major source of peptides presented by MHC class I molecules, as well as the “immunoribosome hypothesis,” proposing ribosomes specialized for immune surveillance. He also shared recent advances and potential applications to cancer immunotherapy, drawing on reflections from his own scientific career. The interdisciplinary nature of his work stimulated lively discussion, particularly regarding the definition of DRiPs.
At a subsequent discussion session, Dr. Yewdell delivered a Special Career Lecture for doctoral students, offering valuable advice on scientific careers and thoughtfully addressing numerous questions.
We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Yewdell for traveling to Hokkaido, as well as the WISE Office, the Department of Molecular Pathology and Diagnostics, and laboratory members for their support and warm hospitality.
Prepared by KAWAGUCHI Nijiho, Organizer / Student Chair .
