Lee-Ann Allen, PhD, Professor of Internal Medicine – Infectious Diseases, and of Microbiology and Immunology, has been appointed to the Kate Daum Professorship, which recognizes outstanding women scientists at the University of Iowa. This position is endowed by the Carver College of Medicine in honor of Kate Daum, PhD, who directed the UI Nutrition Department for nearly thirty years and was a champion of women in science her entire career.

Dr. Allen has been a faculty member of the University of Iowa since 1996, after completing a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin – Madison followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University in Rochester, New York. She is a foundational member of the Iowa Inflammation Program, an interdisciplinary program of investigators expanding our understanding of the cellular and molecular underpinnings of inflammation and its causes and consequences. Dr. Allen has focused her research in recent years on the human neutrophil and the pathogenesis of Francisella tularensis and Helicobacter pylori and their impact on phagocyte function and immune dysregulation. Her research program has been continually funded by the VA and the NIH since 1999. She has a consistent record of publication in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and is the current President of the Society for Leukocyte Biology.

In his letter of nomination, Dr. Bill Nauseef pointed to the ways in which Dr. Allen has contributed to the education mission as much as the research mission of the college and university by teaching courses in multiple subject areas as well as by her involvement in the successful Medical Scientist Training Program. “Dr. Allen’s accomplishments,” Dr. Nauseef wrote, “comprise a body of work that embodies the attributes that made Kate Daum a revered colleague.” Dr. Brooks Jackson, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Carver College of Medicine, agreed with Dr. Nauseef. In his letter of support, Dr. Jackson said, “We are fortunate to have Dr. Allen as a productive member of our faculty and as a leader in the field of Infectious Disease.” Dr. Allen will hold the Kate Daum Professorship for four years.