Amnon Altman, Ph.D.

Amnon Altman, Ph.D., was a Professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology for 31 years. His research into T cell activation opened the door to new therapies for inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancers, and more.

Dr. Altman was born in Israel and came to the United States in 1975 to complete postdoctoral studies at the National Institutes of Health. After serving on the faculty at Scripps Research, Dr. Altman joined LJI in 1990.

Dr. Altman launched the Division of Cell Biology at LJI and published pivotal research into biochemical events in T cell activation, characterization of protein kinase enzymes, and the roles of a subset of T lymphocytes called regulatory T cells (Tregs) in cancer. His work led to the discovery and biological characterization of an enzyme called protein kinase C-theta (PKCθ).

Dr. Altman trained an estimated 65 postdoctoral fellows in his career, and many of these trainees have gone on to establish their own laboratories at universities around the world and serve as leaders at pharmaceutical companies.