Michael Kuhns named Pew Charitable Trusts investigator

Michael Kuhns, PhD, a professor in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and the senior scientific advisor for the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, has been named to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ 2024 class of Innovation Fund Investigators. 

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced Dec. 10 that eight pairs of researchers will make up the latest class of Innovation Fund Investigators. Each pair of investigators will receive $270,000 over the course of three years to conduct their joint research projects. 

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“It is a great honor to be chosen for support by Pew to ask fundamental basic research questions that entail some element of risk and are unlikely to be funded by more conventional mechanisms,” said Kuhns, who is also a member of the U of A Cancer Center and the BIO5 Institute. “This work will help us understand how time and selective pressure have differentially shaped key molecules that drive T cell activation in fish and mammals after they diverged from a common ancestor.”

Kuhns will be collaborating with Nels C. Elde, PhD, a professor of human genetics at the University of Utah. 

“Professor Elde brings expertise in evolutionary biology to the partnership, as well as experience in working with zebrafish as a model for studying host-pathogen interactions. My team brings expertise in studying the molecular mechanisms of mammalian T cell activation,” said Kuhns. “By collaborating with Dr. Elde, we can dramatically expand the breadth of our functional comparisons across species to better understand how evolutionary pressures have shaped the immune systems of jawed vertebrates. I am excited about this work because it represents early days in using evolution to guide our research into the structure and function of proteins that are key to our immune responses to infections and cancer.”

For nearly 40 years, Pew has encouraged collaboration among its diverse community of biomedical scientists, leading to the 2017 launch of the Innovation Fund. The award, which is supported by the Kathryn W. Davis Peace by Pieces Fund, was developed to support creative and cross-disciplinary partnerships among alumni of Pew’s three biomedical programs.

“Now more than ever, interdisciplinary approaches are key to solving the world’s most pressing scientific challenges,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, Pew’s senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement. “Through their innovative research projects, these exceptional investigators are drawing on their different areas of scientific inquiry to advance biomedical research, and Pew is proud to support them.”

Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, the inaugural executive director of CAMI and a professor of immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, said the research Kuhns is doing speaks to the core of CAMI’s mission as a hub for collaborative research to unravel the complexities of the immunology of cancers, infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions. 

“We’re proud of Dr. Kuhns receiving this prestigious award,” said Bhattacharya. “Throughout his career, Dr. Kuhns has pushed the envelope to make fundamental discoveries, often by partnering with others with distinct expertise. The work that this award will fund is a perfect example of his creativity and collaborative spirit.”

Kuhns, who joined the U of A in 2010, said research takes a team effort, with support needed at many levels. 

“My department and the U of A Health Sciences provide us with critical infrastructure and an excellent community of colleagues who support us,” Kuhns said. “Without this support, we would not be able to do the work that we do in pursuit of discoveries that we hope will translate into new biomedical therapies that can improve our lifespan and quality of life.”