Catherine “Lynn” Hedrick, PhD, co-director of the Immunology Center of Georgia at Augusta University and a Georgia Research Alliance Bradley Turner Eminent Scholar in Vascular and Cancer Immunology, was recently named to both the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Immunology Symposium and the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Research Alliance.

Hedrick’s research is focused on two types of immune cells: monocytes and neutrophils. These cells are the first responders to all kinds of infections, wounds and even early cancer. They can clean up dead cells, attack viruses and tumors and alert the rest of the immune system to activate every defense in the body as needed.

Throughout her career, Hedrick has focused on understanding the role these two types of immune cells play in disease. This work led to her becoming a leading expert in the immunology associated with the two leading causes of death in the U.S.: heart disease and cancer.

“I’m truly honored to work more closely with both organizations,” Hedrick said. “The Georgia Research Alliance and its Board of Trustees have an extraordinary commitment to advancing research and innovation across Georgia and have been steadfast supporters of my own research program. The Southeastern Immunology Symposium is a vibrant and collaborative regional conference that showcases the exceptional science taking place across 12 universities throughout the Southeast, and I’m excited to help support its continued growth and impact.”

Southeastern Immunology Symposium

As Conference Chair-Elect for the Southeastern Immunology Symposium, Hedrick will assume the role of Conference Committee Chair in 2027, when Augusta University will co-host the annual meeting with the Medical University of South Carolina. Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD, of the Department of Pharmacology and Immunology at MUSC, will serve as co-chair of the 2027 symposium alongside Hedrick. The 2026 event, hosted by Emory University, will be held in Asheville, North Carolina, on June 2-5.

Hedrick is also on the 2026 Symposium’s Conference Committee and the Organizing Committee, along with Hossam Abdelsamed, PhD, an assistant professor affiliated with the Department of Physiology of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and a resident scientist within the Immunology Center of Georgia.

The Immunology Center of Georgia will be well represented at the 2026 event as Nicholas R.J. Gascoigne, PhD, and Marco Orecchioni, PhD, are both currently scheduled to present.

Gascoigne is the Lamar B. Peacock, M.D. Distinguished Chair for the Study of Immunological Disease and a professor in MCG’s Department of Medicine and IMMCG, and is a member of the Cancer Immunology, Inflammation, and Tolerance research program with the Georgia Cancer Center. Orecchioni is an assistant professor for IMMCG and is also affiliated with MCG’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

The Southeastern Immunology Symposium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to health care, science and education. The mission of the corporation is to establish and facilitate a community of immunologists within the southeastern United States to gather at an annual symposium that fosters networking and the exchange of ideas to encourage the advancement of science, discovery and ongoing collaboration.

Georgia Research Alliance

Hedrick was named to the GRA Board of Trustees at the Jan. 29 meeting, joining Augusta University President Russell T. Keen as the AU representatives on the board. An ex officio GRA trustee, Hedrick is the designated representative of GRA’s Academy of Scholars.

GRA is a nonprofit (501c3), public-private partnership that partners with both the University System of Georgia and the State of Georgia’s Department of Economic Development. One of GRA’s most important accomplishments has been unifying the state’s research institutions to foster cross-university research, which is often critical when competing for federal research funding. Georgia universities currently rank eighth in the U.S. with over $4 billion in research and development.

GRA’s partner universities include Augusta University, Clark Atlanta University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Mercer University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of Georgia. Presidents of each university sit on GRA’s board, along with prominent leaders in government and industry.