Keck School of Medicine of USC Appoints New Chair of Department of Immunology and Immune Therapeutics

Strategic Insights -

Dr. Steven J. Bensinger, VMD, PhD, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Department of Immunology and Immune Therapeutics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, effective September 1, 2025. Dr. Bensinger brings extensive scientific and leadership experience, along with a compelling vision to advance excellence in basic and translational immunology. He joins the Keck School from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he has been Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Personnel in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, and Director of the UCLA Lipidomics Laboratory.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dr. Steven J. Bensinger, VMD, PhD, has been appointed as the new Chair of the Department of Immunology and Immune Therapeutics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, effective September 1, 2025.
  • Dr. Bensinger was selected following a comprehensive national search and brings extensive scientific and leadership experience.
  • He has been continuously funded by the NIH for 17 years, earning notable professional honors, including the Sontag Foundation Distinguished Scientist Award.
  • Dr. Bensinger's research focuses on lipid metabolism and its influence on innate and adaptive immunity, and he has pioneered advanced analytical methods to elucidate these mechanisms.
  • He received his VMD degree from the School of Veterinary Medicine and his PhD in Immunology from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA.
  • Dr. Bensinger will lead the Department of Immunology and Immune Therapeutics, which covers the disciplines of autoimmunity, cancer, cardiovascular disease, infection, regenerative medicine, and transplantation.

Statistics:

  • 17 years of continous funding by the NIH for Dr. Bensinger's research on lipid metabolism and immunity.
  • 5 years of service as interim chair by Dr. Jing"Hsiung James Ou, PhD, in the Department of Immunology and Immune Therapeutics.
  • September 1, 2025, is the date when Dr. Bensinger will take office as Chair of the Department of Immunology and Immune Therapeutics.

Sources:

  • The announcement by the Keck School of Medicine of USC dated [no date provided]
  • Department profile of Dr. Steven J. Bensinger, VMD, PhD