2021 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award

K. Christopher Garcia has been chosen as the 2021 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award winner in recognition of his enormous contributions to understanding receptor-ligand interactions which is unparalleled in the area of cytokine and interferon research. This award is bestowed on Dr. Garcia for his unwavering commitment to visualizing the fascinating architectures of cytokine-receptor interaction, his pivotal role in all the major advances in understanding the structural basis for how cytokine receptors engage and signal in response to cytokine binding, and for his innovative use of protein engineering to translate this information into the development of new therapeutic strategies and molecules. His application of traditional principles of pharmacology used in small molecule drug discovery to cytokine systems has initiated a new field of cytokine pharmacology.

Sarah Gaffen and Vijay Kuchroo are jointly recognized for the 2020 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award for their combined contributions deciphering the role of a key cytokine IL-17 in health and disease

Sarah Gaffen is a world leader in the field of IL-17 biology and function and has become virtually synonymous with this cytokine within the broad scientific community. Vijay K. Kuchroo is recognized for his impact on many of the fundamental discoveries related to cytokine research over the past decade. In particular, he was instrumental in defining the IL-17 producing Th17 cells and their role in autoimmunity and how their modulation effects immune function and tissue inflammation.