Paul Terasaki

Paul Terasaki
Born September 10, 1929 (1929-09-10) (age 82)
Los Angeles, California
Alma mater UCLA
Known for organ transplant medicine; tissue typing
Notable awards UCLA Terasaki Life Sciences Building

Paul Ichiro Terasaki (born September 10, 1929) is a noted scientist in the field of human organ transplant technology and Professor Emeritus of Surgery at UCLA School of Medicine.

He spent three high school years during World War II interned with his family and other Japanese Americans in the Gila River War Relocation Center. Later he earned his doctorate in zoology at UCLA and was appointed to the medical school faculty.

In 1964, Terasaki developed the microcytotoxicity test, a tissue-typing test for organ transplant donors and recipients that required only 1 microliter each of antisera used to identify human leukocyte antigens (HLA).[1] The test was adopted as the international standard for tissue typing. He has focused on study of the humoral theory of transplant rejection, which states that antibodies cause allograft rejection.[2] He and his corporation, One Lambda, have played a central role in the development of tissue typing and transplantation surgery.

Terasaki established UCLA's HLA laboratory,[3] and also established the UCLA Kidney Transplant Registry, the largest in the world. In 1999, he retired from UCLA, but within a year resumed his academic pursuits with the creation of the Terasaki Foundation, a research center dedicated to cancer immunotherapy and the study of humoral immunity and transplantation.

On May 13, 2010, UCLA announced the naming of the new life science building for Terasaki, who has given $50 million to the Division of Life Sciences in the UCLA College of Letters and Science, which is the largest ever given to the UCLA College. The structure will be known as the Terasaki Life Sciences Building.[4]

Paul Terasaki is married to artist Hisako Terasaki; they have four children.

Publications

References

  1. ^ J. Michael Cecka (14 Aug 2003). "Interview with Dr Paul Terasak" (PDF). American Journal of Transplantation (American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons) 3 (9): 1047–1051. doi:10.1034/j.1600-6143.2003.00194.x. PMID 12919082. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/118901841/PDFSTART. Retrieved 2008-12-13. 
  2. ^ Am J Transplant. 2003 Jun;3(6):665-73
  3. ^ "UCLA Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine". David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. http://www.pathology.ucla.edu/pages/resid-intro. Retrieved 2008-12-13. "Training is also available in cellular immunology through the UCLA immunogenetics laboratory. This world renowned HLA laboratory was founded by Dr. Paul Terasaki, and is now an integrated component of the Division of Laboratory Medicine." 
  4. ^ Larry Gordon, Retired UCLA professor pledges $50 million to Westwood campus, Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2010

"Paul Terasaki - Real People". Discover Nikkei. International Nikkei Research Project. http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/people/profiles/44/. Retrieved 2008-12-13.  See also its links to oral history video clips.