Emory University School of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Medicine

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Department of Medicine

Profile

Ignacio Sanz MD

  • Department of Medicine
    Professor
Head shot of Ignacio Sanz

Overview

A board-certified practicing rheumatologist with major emphasis on SLE, Dr. Sanz was Chief of the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at the University of Rochester since 1996 until his move to Emory in April of 2012 as the Mason I. Lowance Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Division Director of the Division of Rheumatology, Director of the Lowance Center for Human Immunology and Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Scholar in Human Immunology.

Initially trained in Molecular Immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Capra at Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Sanz has extensive expertise in the study of human autoantibodies and B-cells. He has performed pioneering studies of B-cell depletion in human SLE. In the process, his lab has developed great expertise in the multi-chromatic FCM analysis of human B-cells, generation of monoclonal antibodies from single cells and more recently, next generation sequencing.

For more than a decade, Dr. Sanz has been the director of one of only 8 NIH-funded Autoimmunity Centers of Excellence in the nation as well as the Director of the University of Rochester Program for Biodefense of Immunocompromised Populations from 2006-2011. He is also the Principal Investigator of a large multi-institutional Program Project investigating B cells in Health and Disease and was the Director of the Rochester Center for Translational Immunology and Infectious Diseases from 2009-2012. He was a member of the NIAID Allergy and Immunology Study section and has also participated in multiple special review panels and ad-hoc reviews. He has been an invited participant in special workshops on Immunotherapy (NIAID); HIV (NIAID); and Type 1 Diabetes (NIDKK). He is also a member of the ACE and the Immune Tolerance Network Steering Committees and Chair of the ACE Mechanistic Studies Committee.

Academic Appointment

  • Mason I. Lowance Chair of Allergy & Immunology, GA Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Human Immunology
  • Division Director, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Emory University School of Medicine
  • Tenured Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
  • Director, Rochester Autoimmunity Center of Excellence

Education

Degrees

  • MD from University of Santander Medical School
  • BS from Colegio San Agustin

Research

Focus

  • My research focuses on understanding the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of human B cells and their implications for the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases with biological agents. We hope to be able to recognize early/pre-clinical disease, design rational interventions leading to personalized treatments capable to prevent the development and/or progression of autoimmunity and of effectively and safely treat established disease.

Publications

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