Anthony Vella has been named chair of the Department of Immunology at the UConn School of Medicine. A professor of immunology, Vella is a national leader in innovative research centered on T cell biology. His work has examined how adjuvants and costimulation enhance or modulate immune responses. Using a wide spectrum of technologies these studies have helped define mechanisms that control CD4 and CD8 T cell activation, tolerance, cytokine production, cell differentiation and survival.

Vella is also closely involved in multiple collaborative research projects designed to uncover new ways to diagnose and treat inflammatory-based diseases, as well as developing cancer immunotherapies and conducting biodefense research. He holds several NIH grants, serves on national grant review panels, is a member of AAI and other professional societies, previously served as director of the Immunology Graduate Program at UConn Health, and has mentored a number of Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows.

In 1986 Vella received his B.A. in Biology from SUNY Buffalo State, and in 1989 an M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y.). His doctoral thesis was completed in 1993 in the laboratory of Dr. Edward Pearce, Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.), and conducted postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Drs. Philippa Marrack and John Kappler at National Jewish Health (Denver, Col.). After joining the UConn School of Medicine he was promoted to full professor in 2013, and has served on a variety of university administrative and education-related committees.

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