Rate My Professor Dorothy Hudig

Dorothy Hudig, Ph.D., is a professor of immunology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology within the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno. She earned her Ph.D. in Biology/Immunology from the University of California, San Diego in 1977 and her B.A. in Biology, cum laude, from Bryn Mawr College in 1968. Following her doctoral studies, Hudig completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Medicine and Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, under John Mendelsohn, M.D., from 1977 to 1979. She then served as Associate Member and Assistant Research Biochemist I-III at the University of California, San Diego Cancer Center from 1979 to 1984. On January 1, 1984, she joined the University of Nevada, Reno as Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, spanning the School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine. She received tenure as Associate Professor in 1989 and was promoted to full Professor in 1991, becoming Nevada’s first woman full professor in the sciences and engineering.

Hudig’s research in the field of Medicine specializes in mechanisms of lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity, encompassing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity by natural killer cells, natural killer and cytotoxic T lymphocytes targeting tumor and virus-infected cells via pore-forming proteins from granules, and the role of serine protease granzymes in killing—a critical contribution co-discovered with James C. Powers, Ph.D., now documented in immunology textbooks. Her investigations also include generating serial killer natural killer cells for solid tumor applications and monocyte and natural killer cell cooperation in antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity pertinent to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. As a dedicated educator, she teaches basic immunology to second-year medical students. Hudig maintains an exemplary research laboratory handling biohazards and radiation, which earned the 2024 Excellence in Laboratory Safety Award for its safety culture, secure hazardous chemical storage, comprehensive training, and incident prevention strategies. Furthermore, she wrote and directed a component of a National Science Foundation EPSCoR grant from 1995 to 1999, allocating $750,000 over three years to support tenure-track women in science through startup research funds and group coaching, many of whom advanced to full professorships. Spanning over four decades, her career has profoundly shaped immunology advancements and promoted gender equity in STEM fields at the University of Nevada, Reno.