Alexander Y. Rudensky, PhD Chair, Immunology Program, SKI Biography Dr. Rudensky is a member of the Sloan Kettering Institute’s Immunology Program. His laboratory studies the development of white blood cells called T lymphocytes, which play a role in the immune system response to infection. Specifically, his research is focused on a subset of T lymphocytes called regulatory T cells, which are believed to suppress the immune system’s ability to fight tumors. Understanding how regulatory T cells function has many potential applications in the clinic, including the development of therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer that act by boosting or targeting these cells. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator earned his PhD degree in immunology from the Gabrichevsky Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, in Moscow. Education & Training Gabrichevsky Institute for Microbiology and Epigemiology, Moscow, Russia, PhD, Immunology Awards & Honors 2015: Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Coley Award in Basic Immunology, Cancer Research Institute; Thomson Reuters Citation Laureate 2012: Member, National Academy of Sciences 2009: Merit Award, National Institutes of Health