Clifford V. Harding

Clifford V. Harding is the Joseph R. Kahn Professor and Chair of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine, with additional roles as Professor in the Departments of Anatomy and Medicine. He holds affiliations with the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Harding graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard (1979) and earned MD/PhD in Cell Biology from Washington University (1985). His research focuses on immunology, antigen processing, and infectious diseases like tuberculosis, with pioneering work on exosomes and MHC mechanisms. He has trained over 100 students/postdocs and leads national training programs in Immunology and Cancer Biology. His lab investigates antigen-presenting cell regulation in infections, particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis's immune evasion strategies. He has published >190 peer-reviewed articles, including seminal studies on exosomes and TLR signaling, and is an NIH-funded investigator with an h-index of 55.

Education:

• B.S. Biology, Harvard College (1979)
• M.D./Ph.D. Cell Biology, Washington University (1985)

Research Interests:

• Immunology of infectious diseases
• Antigen presentation mechanisms
• T cell biology and TLR signaling
• Exosome biology and pathogen manipulation
• Host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis/HIV

Key Achievements:

• Discovered exosomes' role in antigen presentation (1983)
• Defined MHC-II antigen processing pathways
• Elucidated TLR2/Mycobacterium tuberculosis immune modulation
• Developed immunology training programs at national/international levels

Awards:

• University Hospitals Distinguished Physician
• NIH R01 grants (continuous funding since 1993)