The American Association of Immunologists Appoints Gail A. Bishop as Incoming Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Immunology

Newswise — ROCKVILLE, MD (June 12, 2023) — The AAI Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Gail A. Bishop, Ph.D., DFAAI (AAI ’84), as the incoming editor-in-chief of The Journal of Immunology (The JI). Dr. Bishop is a professor of microbiology and immunology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Dr. Bishop’s five-year term will commence on January 1, 2024, and end December 31, 2028.

Bishop received a Ph.D. degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under the mentorship of Drs. Joseph Glorioso and Stanley Schwartz. Her doctoral thesis focused on the immune response to Herpes Simplex virus. She completed postdoctoral work at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in the laboratories of Drs. Geoffrey Haughton and Jeffrey Frelinger (AAI ’76), where she focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of B lymphocyte activation and the structure-function relationship of B cell signal receptors.

Bishop was appointed assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Iowa in 1989, promoted to associate professor with tenure in 1994, and to professor in 1998. She was appointed as endowed College of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Microbiology in 2001 and Holden Chair of Cancer Biology in 2004. From 1998 to 2013, she served as the director of the Ph.D.-granting Immunology Graduate Program. In 2004, she became associate director for basic science research at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. She currently serves as director of the Center for Immunology and Immune-Based Diseases at the University of Iowa.

The Bishop lab studies the molecular mechanisms that underlie the processes of lymphocyte activation and tolerance. Particular areas of focus are lymphocyte signaling and interactions between innate and adaptive immune receptors.

Bishop has a long history of service to AAI. She has been both an associate and section editor of The JI. She served on the AAI Council from 2007 to 2014, including as AAI Councilor from 2007 to 2011, AAI vice president from 2011 to 2012, AAI president from 2012 to 2013, and AAI past president from 2013 to 2014. She was named a Distinguished Fellow of the AAI in 2019. Bishop served as the AAI representative to the Council of the International Union of Immunology Societies from 2016 to 2022.

Beyond her involvement with AAI, Bishop has also served on the Cell Biology and Signal Transduction grant review panel of the National Science Foundation; the Microbiology & Immunology review panel of the American Heart Association; and served as a member and Chair of the NIH Tumors, Tolerance, and Transplantation study section. She was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2020 and is a 2022 inductee of the Society for Leukocyte Biology Honorary Life Members.

Bishop takes the reins of The JI at a pivotal time in scholarly publishing. She was selected as editor-in-chief for her scientific and editorial experience, her broad and deep connections in the field of immunology, and her demonstrated commitment to an evidence-based approach to decision making.

“AAI is delighted to welcome Gail Bishop as editor-in-chief of The JI,” said AAI President Mark Davis, Ph.D. “Dr. Bishop’s extensive experience in immunology, along with her significant contributions to the association, make her particularly well suited for this position. Under her leadership, The JI will continue to attract high-quality manuscripts that advance all areas of experimental immunology, including basic and clinical studies.”

“I am honored and excited to be selected as the next editor-in-chief of The JI,” said Bishop. “I remember well how thrilled I was to have my first JI paper accepted for publication when I was a graduate student. In the many years since, I have watched my students and postdoctoral fellows experience this with their own JI papers. The challenges facing nonprofit scientific society journals today are considerable. However, The JI and I, as incoming editor-in-chief, are fortunate to have an exceptionally strong team to face these challenges. Contributors to this team include outstanding AAI staff and leadership, an active and committed AAI Publications Committee and governing Council, and a talented editorial board. I look forward to working with them to pursue initiatives to enhance and increase the success of The JI and to ensure that AAI journals thrive as leaders of the immunology community in the future.”

Founded in 1916, The JI is the most highly cited publication in the field of immunology. Its editors-in-chief of the last 25 years include:

• Frank W. Fitch, M.D., Ph.D. (1997–2003)
• Robert R. Rich, M.D. (2003–2008)
• Jeremy M. Boss, Ph.D. (2008–2013)
• Pamela J. Fink, Ph.D. (2013–2018)
• Eugene M. Oltz, Ph.D. (2018–2023)

Members of the AAI Council, Publications Committee, and staff congratulate Dr. Bishop on her appointment and look forward to working with her.

About The American Association of Immunologists
Founded in 1913, The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) (www.aai.org) is an association of professionally trained scientists from all over the world dedicated to advancing the knowledge of immunology and its related disciplines. AAI members have been responsible for some of the most significant immunological discoveries of the past century, including the development of cancer immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, transplant technologies, and dozens of life-saving vaccines. The organization counts 27 Nobel Laureates among its members. AAI owns and publishes The Journal of Immunology, the oldest and most established journal in the field, as well as ImmunoHorizons, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the science of immunology.