Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., has officially begun her term as President and CEO of La Jolla Institute for Immunology. As a leader in infectious disease research, Saphire has dedicated her career to bringing scientists together to face the toughest health threats.
Our Focus Is Immunology
We believe that no other biomedical discipline has greater implications for human health than immunology. By unraveling the complexities of the immune system, LJI researchers are directly tackling an extraordinarily diverse array of diseases, such as asthma, cancer, CoVID-19, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s, and many others.
At La Jolla Institute for Immunology, every day, our discoveries move the world closer to Life Without Disease.
Our Research Centers
La Jolla Institute is home to three research centers that focus the efforts of collaborative groups of researchers on defined areas of inquiry, to accelerate progress toward the development of new treatments and vaccines to prevent and cure autoimmune conditions, cancer and infectious disease.
Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation
Research into different autoimmune diseases can inform the development of new treatments that teach the immune system to tolerate the body’s own cells.
Center for Cancer Immunotherapy
The Center is at the forefront of exploring new and sometimes unexpected avenues for novel immune-based cancer treatments.
Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, LJI infectious disease experts quickly mobilized a task force to respond to the current crisis.
Our Impact
Latest News
Haywire T cells attack protein in “bad” cholesterol
LA JOLLA, CA—Preventing atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease, means scientists need to understand how immune cells drive inflammation
The scientist with a saxophone
LJI's Lindy Edwards on her double life as a jazz band leader
Stopping lung damage before it turns deadly
LA JOLLA, CA—If you’ve ever struggled to breathe, you’ve had a moment of hypoxia—a lack of oxygen. Hypoxia can have