A woman presents to a large crowd in a modern lecture hall on a college campus.
Immunologist Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, was named the speaker for the Inaugural Margaret-Gertraud Immunology Lecture. [Milledge Austin/Augusta University]

In Photos: IMMCG hosts world-renowned immunologist at inaugural lectureship

man with glasses standing in front of blue backgroundMilledge Austin2 min readFebruary 26, 2026

Researchers, faculty, students and supporters of Augusta University filled a lecture hall in the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Education Commons on the evening of Feb. 19 for a fascinating presentation by world-renowned immunologist Akiko Iwasaki, PhD.

Iwasaki’s lecture marked the Inaugural Margaret-Gertraud Immunology Lecture, the culmination of a two-year effort that began during the 2024 Augusta Gives philanthropy campaign. During that campaign, Klaus Ley, MD, and Catherine “Lynn” Hedrick, PhD, co-founding directors of Augusta University’s Immunology Center of Georgia, made a gift to establish the lecture, which serves as a tribute to their mothers while advancing immunology education and research at Augusta University.

“Dr. Iwasaki’s research is directly relevant to human health,” said Ley, Georgia Research Alliance Bradley Turner Eminent Scholar in Immunology and professor of physiology. “She explained the features and symptoms of viral infections that result in incomplete resolution, including long COVID.”

A man and a woman present another woman with an award.
Following her presentation, Klaus Ley, MD, and Catherine “Lynn” Hedrick, PhD, co-founding directors of Augusta University’s Immunology Center of Georgia, presented Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, with an award, thanking her for her contributions to immunology and the lectureship. [Milledge Austin/Augusta University]

Founded in 2022, IMMCG’s mission is to unlock the power and potential of the human immune system to fight cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.

Iwasaki proved to be an ideal inaugural speaker, delivering her lecture, “Science Behind Failure to Recover from Infections.” She shared insights from her extensive contributions to long COVID research, including work on the Mount Sinai-Yale Long COVID Study.

A Sterling Professor of Immunology at the Yale University School of Medicine, Iwasaki is the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity and has been a leading scientific voice during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Global Health in 2024. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at mucosal surfaces, which are a major site of entry for infectious agents. She has more than 350 scientific publications to her name, and her work has been cited over 61,000 times.

“We were thrilled to host Dr. Iwasaki for the Inaugural Margaret-Gertraud Immunology Lectureship,” said Hedrick, Georgia Research Alliance Bradley Turner Eminent Scholar in Vascular and Cancer Immunology. “Akiko is an exceptional scientist whose work has a profound and direct impact on human health. She is also deeply committed to mentoring early-career scientists and strengthening public trust in science, values that Klaus and I strongly share.”

Additional support for the 2026 lecture came from generous sponsors, including platinum sponsors 10X Genomics and Becton Dickinson Biosciences, and gold sponsors Miltenyi Biotec, Revvity, Stemcell Technologies, Bruker Spatial Biology and CYTEK.

A woman presents to a large crowd in a modern lecture hall on a college campus.
A presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A man listens as a presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A woman listens as a presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A man listens and takes notes as a presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
Two men listen as a presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A man listens as a presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A woman asks a question of a presenter during a Q&A session following a lecture in a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
A man listens as a presenter speaks to a crowded lecture hall on a modern college campus.
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Written by
Milledge Austin

Milledge Austin is the Scientific Communications Manager for the Immunology Center of Georgia at Augusta University.

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