J.S. and H.R Blumenthal Memorial Lectureship Series
Since its establishment in 1963, the J.S. and H.R. Blumenthal Memorial Lectureship Series has featured distinguished speakers in the field of allergy and immunology.
This lectureship was founded in honor of Dr. Jacob Solomon Blumenthal, a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School. After completing his training in Internal Medicine, Dr. Blumenthal developed a keen interest in Allergy and Immunology. He went on to create the Allergy Program at the University, making significant contributions as a clinician, educator, and researcher. Following his death, his family and friends established the lectureship to bring leading experts in Allergy and Immunology to the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Blumenthal's spouse, Hannah Rachel Blumenthal, was also deeply involved with the University, both as an educator and a supporter of the Allergy Program. Her efforts were crucial in the founding of this lectureship. In her honor, and to commemorate their shared contributions, the lectureship was renamed the Jacob Solomon and Hannah Rachel Blumenthal Lectureship in Allergy and Immunology after her passing.
The lectureship has been sustained through the enduring support of Dr. Malcolm Blumenthal, a renowned physician-scientist and allergist, and his spouse, Marsha Blumenthal. Although Dr. Malcolm Blumenthal has since passed away, his and Marsha's commitment to the lectureship's mission has been steadfast, with their family continuing to honor their legacy and support the series in their memory.
63rd Annual Lecture: 2026
E. John Wherry, PhD
Barbara and Richard Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor and
Chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics
Director, UPenn Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H)
Director, Colton Center for Autoimmunity
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Email: [email protected]
"Mechanisms of T cell exhaustion"
February 27, 2026
12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.
2-620 Moos Tower
Lunch will be provided
Dr. E. John Wherry is the Barbara and Richard Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor, Chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine, and Director of the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H). He also leads the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn, part of the Colton Consortium, which includes centers at NYU, Yale, and Tel Aviv University.
Dr. Wherry received his PhD from Thomas Jefferson University in 2000 and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University. He is internationally recognized for pioneering work on T cell exhaustion, including defining the role of immune checkpoint pathways such as PD-1 in chronic infection and cancer. His research has elucidated the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying exhausted T cell states and has advanced immune checkpoint–based cancer therapies.
More recently, his laboratory has focused on systems immunology approaches to define immune health across diverse diseases, including pharmacodynamic immune responses to therapy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his group played a leading role in characterizing immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
Dr. Wherry has published more than 370 peer-reviewed articles, with over 125,000 citations. His honors include election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences.
Learn more about Dr. Wherry’s work:
