Hirohito Kita, M.D. (IMM ’91), named Mayo Clinic Arizona Investigator of the Year

Hirohito Kita, M.D. (IMM ’91), Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Professor of Pulmonary Medicine, was named Mayo Clinic in Arizona Investigator of the Year. Dr. Kita has conducted laboratory-based research to investigate the immunological mechanisms of allergic diseases during 31 years at Mayo Clinic. His research program has continuously been supported by the NIH since 1994, with funding totaling more than $32.5 million. Dr. Kita’s initial work helped to define the immunobiology of eosinophils, including eosinophil effector functions and their roles in human diseases. He expanded the scope of his research and has investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in type 2 immune responses. This body of work contributed to the recognition of immunological activities of allergens and the understanding of how innate and adaptive immune cells play a role in the development of disease.