Liise-anne Pirofski

Liise-anne Pirofski is a Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center. She is a Member of the Association of American Physicians, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy of Microbiology, American College of Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Early life and education Pirofski grew up in Northern California, close to U.S. Route 101. When she was a child she wanted to become an announcer for the San Francisco Giants. She studied history of art and psychology.

Research and career Pirofski is interested in innate and vaccine-induced immunity to encapsulated microbes. She studies the immune response to the mycosis Cryptococcosis and the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae. She has explored antibody-based therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases. In the early 2000s, in collaboration with Arturo Casadevall, Pirofski developed the ‘Damage-Response Framework’ of microbial pathogenesis; which is a theory focused on the outcome of host-microbe interaction that considers the role of both hosts and pathogens in the outcome of infectious diseases and microbial pathogenesis. Pirofski was appointed chief of the division of infectious diseases at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in 2006.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Pirofski looked to deploy convalescent plasma, a therapy with a century long history of use in epidemics, as a treatment for COVID-19. She, along with colleagues in New York City and Connecticut, is leading a clinical trial of convalescent plasma, a form of antibody-based therapy for the disease. This type of treatment is being studied for its efficacy in patients who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2, as well as those suffering from COVID-19. Convalescent plasma therapy is a form of passive immunization that provides patients with antibodies to fight the disease. In the absence of a vaccine, passive immunization is a powerful way to provide antibodies and boost the immune system of people with SARS-CoV-2 and may remain particularly important for immunocompromised people who may not be able to mount a strong vaccine response. The treatment was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on March 24, 2020. and as of July 2020 numerous randomized controlled clinical trials of its efficacy in hospitalized patients and outpatients are ongoing. Pirofski has found the way in which recovered patients came forth to donate their plasma to treat others heartwarming and a celebration of their spirit and courage in wanting to help others and contribute to the advancement of evidence based science.

Pirofski has been chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Jacques and Selma Mitrani Chair in Biomedical Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center since 2006. In an article describing her career as a physician scientist, she wrote “The greatest treasure my career has brought is the opportunity to support and encourage others in their effort to make inroads in the fields of infectious diseases, immunity, and microbial pathogenesis. Although my own accomplishments and the advances to which I have contributed are very satisfying, what makes my days worthwhile is the thought that my support and encouragement might help others make discoveries that may alleviate suffering and improve human health.”

Awards and honours 2004 Harry Eagle Award for Outstanding Pre-Clerkship Teaching 2006 Elected to the American Academy of Microbiology 2013 Pirofski Wins Einstein Faculty Mentoring Award 2014 Maxwell Finland Award Lecturer 2015 American Society for Microbiology William A. Hinton Research Training Award 2016 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2017 Albert Einstein College of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award and the American College of Physicians.

Selected publications