alumni OhioStateMedicine 20 medicine.osu.edu/alumni
passion and Joy
lead to Discovery
work of foremost authority on tuberculosis improves
human condition
twenty-five years
ago, physician-
scientist larry s.
schlesinger, MD,
was awarded
his first national
institutes of
health (nih)
grant. Dr.
schlesinger’s
groundbreaking investigations into
the pathogenesis of tuberculosis (tB)
and other lung diseases have been
continuously nih-funded since. today,
he is an internationally recognized
authority on tB and human lung
immune response mechanisms. he
is also the foremost investigator
of innovative delivery methods for
therapies, as well as a Council member
of the nih.
“My joy and passion come from
thinking about how cutting-edge
scientific discoveries can translate into
improving the human condition,” says
Dr. schlesinger, chair, Microbial infection
and immunology.
his love of research and discovery
began at rutgers new Jersey Medical
school and strengthened during an
internship in internal medicine at the
university of Michigan and a fellowship
at uCla. while investigating tB for 11
years at the university of iowa, he began
envisioning “team science.” when he
came to the College in 2002 as the
samuel saslaw professor of Medicine
and director of the Division of infectious
Diseases, his vision became a reality.
“as an athlete growing up, the idea
of team science was always in my
blood, and ohio state has the perfect
collaborative environment for founding
the Center for Microbial interface
Biology (CMiB),” he says.
since its inception in 2002, CMiB has
attracted a large number of scientists
and has enjoyed an international
reputation for leading advances and
creation of new knowledge in infectious
disease research leading to new
diagnostics, treatment and prevention.
in 2013, the prestigious harrington
scholar-innovator program recognized
Dr. schlesinger and his life’s work by
naming him to its inaugural class. this
award provides research and drug
development funding to physician-scientist
innovators whose research has the
potential to change the standard of care.
in 2015, Dr. schlesinger was named a
Distinguished professor – the College’s
highest honor – recognizing his
outstanding achievements in teaching,
research, service and leadership.
in addition, in september 2015 the Bill
& Melinda Gates foundation awarded
nearly $600,000 to an ohio state team
co-led by Dr. schlesinger and wolfgang
sadee, phD, professor of Molecular
Virology, immunology & Medical Genetics
and director of pharmacogenomics at
the College. together, they will study
variations in human immune responses
to tB infection. “our ultimate goal is to
create diagnostic tools that alert healthy
individuals about their susceptibility to
tB, as well as to develop personalized
interventions,” Dr. schlesinger notes.
Larry S. Schlesinger, MD
