Ronald B. Herberman
immunologist
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Resource IT
United States of America
Biography
Herberman was a Board of Directors member of LessCancer.org, an organization formed by the Next Generation Choices Foundation dedicated to eliminating cancer through lifestyle changes. LessCancer founded the Ronald B. Heberman Speaker Series to discuss cancer prevention issues with members of Congress, in his honor. The first Herberman Speaker was Graham Colditz, MD.
Research Interest
In 1968, prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh, Herberman was a senior investigator in the immunology branch of the National Cancer Institute, where he organized a research program related to tumor and cellular immunology.[2] In 1971, he became head of the cellular and tumor immunology section in the National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Cell Biology. In this role he was responsible for a research program related to studies in animal model systems and in patients with cancer, studying the cell mediated immune responses to tumors. Dr. Herberman’s laboratory was at the forefront of research leading to the discovery of a new category of lymphocytes, termed natural killer (NK) cells. After that, much of Herberman's research focused on characterizing these natural effector cells and on their role in resisting cancer growth.