Kenneth Murphy, MD, PhD

Eugene Opie First Centennial Professor, Pathology & Immunology

Divisions

Immunobiology

Division: Immunobiology

Murphy Lab

Education

BA, Summa Cum Laude, Chemistry: Rice University, Houston, TX (1978)

MD, PhD: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (1984)

Resident-in-Training, Department of Pathology: Washington University, Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, MO (1988)

Chief Resident, Anatomic Pathology: Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1998)

Postdoctoral Training (with Dennis Y. Loh): Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1990)

Recognition

1975-1977: Board of Governors Scholar, Rice University, Houston, TX

1977: Phi Beta Kappa

1978: B.A. Summa Cum Laude, Rice University, Houston, TX

1978: Z.W. Salsburg Memorial Award, Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX

1978-1984: Medical Scientist Training Program Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

1984: D.I. Macht Memorial Prize, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

1988-1990: Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Career Development Award

2009: Distinguished Investigator Award, Washington University School of Medicine

2012: William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic Immunology, Cancer Research Institute

2016: AAI-Thermo Fisher Meritorious Career Award, Thermo Fisher Scientific

2016: National Academy of Sciences

Editorial Responsibilities

2016-Present
Executive Committee, Senior Editorial Board
European Journal of Immunology

2005-Present Lead Author,
Janeway’s Immunobiology, Garland Science

2001-Present, Transmitting Editor,
International Immunology

2001-Present Editorial Board,
European Journal of Immunology

2000-Present Associate , Editor
Immunity

1997-Present Editor, Immunity

Service to the Department

2015-Present Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Program (CHiiPs) Member

2015-Present Inaugural Siteman Investment Program Review Committee

2011 – 2012, Course master, Immunobiology I 5052 & Immunobiology II 5053

2010 – 2013 Animal Studies Committee

2009 – Present Selection Committee for Faculty Affairs

2009 – 2011 Course master, Lymphoid Organogenesis Immunology 5161

2008 – Present DBBS Evaluation Committee, Pathology and Immunology

2008 – Present Faculty Search Committee, Immunobiology

2008 – 2011 Cell Biology Search Committee

2003 – 2012, Course Master, Foundations Immunology 5051

2000 – 2007 Barnes Hospital Medical Staff, Department of Pathology

2000 – Present, Immunology Student Admissions Committee

1997 – 2000,
American Association of Immunologist Nominating Committee

1992 – Present
Speaker Committee, Pathology and Immunology

1992 – Present
Steering Committee, Immunology Program

1992 – Present
DBBS Admissions Committee

1992 – 1995
Graduate School Admissions Committee

Service to the University

1997 – Present
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

DBBS Affiliations

DBBS Admissions Committee (1992-Present)

Director, DBBS Immunology Program (2008-2012)

DBBS Evaluation Committee, Pathology and Immunology (2008-2012)

Research Interests

Selecting the correct immune response to pathogens – development of dendritic cells and lymphocyte subsets.

My laboratory examines how specialized lineages of the immune system develop to anticipate various types of infections and to generate the correct quality of immune response. Our initial focus examined the basis of CD4 T cell development into the function helper subsets, such as TH1, TH2,TH17, and so on. Our work defined the physiological basis of instructive differentiation that occurs in response to pathogens and defined the signaling pathways and transcriptional circuits involved. Our early discovery that dendritic cells and macrophages determined the direction of T cell differentiation, by their production of cytokines such as IL-12, led us to examine how myeloid cells evolved to be the decision makers for T cell differentiation in immunity. We are currently focused on defining the developmental basis for dendritic cell diversification into the functional subsets that control induction of the various types of lymphocyte effector responses. This work has practical implications for improved immunotherapy, including vaccine design. Ongoing projects can be found by reading our recently published work and review articles.

Selected Publications

WashU Medicine Profile

Assistant