Washington, DC—June 6, 2012 Bruce S. Rabin, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, and Medical Director of the Division of Clinical Immunopathology and the Healthy Lifestyle Program for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, has been awarded the 2012 Abbott Award in Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology. This award honors a distinguished scientist for outstanding contributions to the fields of clinical or diagnostic immunology. "Rabin has pursued a unique role in the evolution of contemporary clinical and diagnostic immunology," says nominator Noel Rose, Johns Hopkins University. "By studying the mechanisms by which the nervous system, endocrine organs, and immune response interact, Rabin has elucidated many of the dark corners of immunology. At the same time, he has brought sound immunologic principals to the study of mental health and disease in humans."
Rabin attended medical and graduate school at the State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving his Ph.D. in immunology with Rose as his mentor. He continued his education with a residency in clinical pathology at the Medical College of Virginia. Rabin first joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1972, where he has remained ever since.
Rabin's professional life has been dedicated to understanding the immune system and the factors which influence it. "He has been innovative in unique concepts related to antibodies in neurologic disease and associations with genetic markers," says Steven Douglas, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Rabin discovered early on that stress—a variable in every person's life—exerts a profound influence on the human immune system and health. From that point forward, his work focused on the effects of stress and the pathways of communication between the brain and the immune system: the mind-body connection.
With a career that has spanned almost 40 years, Rabin's work is widely referenced—from the scientific community to national news to local health care articles. He has been sought out to serve on a number of government panels to advance awareness and promote research in mind-body medicine. "He was a pioneer in the field of clinical immunopathology, making important contributions in the establishment of assays now used routinely for the diagnoses of autoimmune diseases and monitoring of transplant recipients," described Alan Landay, Rush University Medical Center. Rabin's research has yielded more than 300 publications, and his research laboratory has trained over 50 young scientists who are making their own contributions to medicine. In addition, he has served as President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, which is the premier scientific organization for the promotion of research in mind-body medicine, and President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists.
Rabin has been instrumental in applying science and research to the real world by developing programs designed to help people identify, learn, and adhere to behaviors that will maintain their wellness and lower their risk of developing serious and potentially life threatening conditions and diseases. He has been quoted extensively on the topic of stress by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and has also been featured in national magazines. Rabin is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
To view Dr. Rabin's biosketch, please visit: http://www.asm.org/index.php/awards-grants/current-abbott-award-in-clinical-and-diagnostic-immunology-laureate.html
The Abbott Award in Clinical and Diagnostic Immunology will be presented during the 112th General Meeting of the ASM, June 16 - 19, 2012 in San Francisco, California. ASM is the world's oldest and largest life science organization and has more than 40,000 members worldwide. ASM's mission is to advance the microbiological sciences and promote the use of scientific knowledge for improved health and economic and environmental well‐being.