Rate My Professor Richard Zeff

Dr. Richard Zeff serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Medical Sciences, Senior Associate Dean for Scholarship, and Interim Associate Dean of Admissions at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University. He holds a PhD in Immunology from Rush University, Chicago, IL (1982), and an A.B. from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (1973). Following his doctorate, he conducted postdoctoral studies from 1982 to 1987 in the Department of Cell Biology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. Prior to his appointment at Quinnipiac in 2016, where he also holds the Saint Vincent’s Medical Center Endowed Chair in Medical Sciences, Dr. Zeff was Professor in the Department of Immunology (2008–2016) and Assistant Dean for Admissions (2010–2016) at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT. His earlier career at UConn included positions as Associate Professor in Immunology (2006–2008) and Pathology (1996–2006), and Assistant Professor in Pathology (1987–1996). He has been a member of the Immunology Graduate Program since 1989 and directed the Biomedical Scholars Program from 2004 to 2010.

Dr. Zeff's research has focused on the regulation of Major Histocompatibility Complex class I molecules, including structural analysis of H-2K variants, somatic cell mutants, β2-microglobulin gene expression, and their implications for immune recognition and transplantation. Notable publications include Nathenson et al., 'Murine major histocompatibility complex class I mutants: Molecular analysis and structure-function implications' (Ann. Rev. Immunol., 1986); Zeff, 'β2-microglobulin in transplantation' (Transplantation, 1995); and Lai and Zeff et al., 'Expression and purification of a recombinant single-chain IL-7/HGF hybrid cytokine...' (Blood, 2006). He received the Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association National Center (1989–1994), the Milheim Foundation Award for Cancer Research (1988–1989), and extensive teaching honors at UConn, such as the Charles N. Loeser Award (1997, 1999, 2003), Outstanding Teacher Awards for Basic Medical Sciences (1992–2015), and induction into the Academy of Distinguished Educators (2009). Dr. Zeff served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Immunology (1995–2000), on the editorial board of Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (1994–2000), and on the National Board of Medical Examiners USMLE Step 1 Microbiology Test Committee (2005–2008). He dedicates significant effort to teaching immunology and has earned recognition for excellence in basic medical sciences education.