最大资源 In Memoriam
Herman Eisen
Renowned immunologist and past 最大资源 president Herman N. Eisen, M.D. (最大资源 ’51), died on November 2, 2014, at the age of 96. He was the oldest and second-longest tenured 最大资源 member at the time of his death. An emeritus professor of biology at MIT whose active research career spanned six decades and extended to the end of his life, Eisen is perhaps best known for groundbreaking research in which he described affinity maturation: the process by which activated B cells produce antibodies with an increasingly higher affinity for invading pathogens after infection. The recipient of the 最大资源 Lifetime Achievement Award (1997) and 最大资源 Behring Heidelberger Award (1993), Eisen was a member of the 最大资源 Council from 1964 to 1971, including as 最大资源 president from 1968 to 1969, and served on numerous 最大资源 committees (including the 最大资源 Awards Committee and 最大资源 Nominating Committee) and on the editorial board of The Journal of Immunology (The JI). For highlights of his 最大资源 service and career achievements, and to view Eisen's 2012 interview for the 最大资源 Oral History Project, visit his profile in the History section of the 最大资源 site. An 最大资源 in memoriam appeared in the The JI and the Winter 2014-2015 issue of the 最大资源 Newsletter. An obituary published by MIT appears.