Hēth Turnquist

Dr. Hēth R. Turnquist is a tenured Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Deputy Science Director of the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute (STI). He also holds secondary appointments in the Department of Immunology, the Vascular Medicine Institute, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Turnquist earned his Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University and his Ph.D. in Pathology and Microbiology from the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Turnquist is internationally recognized for his pioneering research into the interactions between immune cells and damaged tissues, particularly following trauma and organ transplantation. He has established a leading research and training program that employs advanced transgenic mouse models of transplantation and injury, alongside precise analyses of clinical samples. This integrative approach has led to significant discoveries at the intersection of alloimmunity and tissue repair. His laboratory focuses on elucidating novel endogenous immunoregulatory mechanisms that can benefit transplant recipients by providing alternatives to non-specific immunosuppressants. Key areas of study include the role of cytokines, particularly interleukin-33, in shaping transplant outcomes. Dr. Turnquist’s team has identified a unique subset of regulatory T cells (Tregs) that not only suppress immune responses but also support tissue repair. These reparative Tregs respond to signals released during injury to control the inflammatory and repair responses of other immune cells, as well as produce growth factors that support injured tissues. Such findings have significant implications for improving outcomes after solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, as well resolving pathology after trauma and disease. Dr. Turnquist’s was recently recognized with the 2022 Basic Science Investigator Award from the American Society of Transplantation, honoring his substantial contributions to transplantation medicine.

Beyond his research, Dr. Turnquist is a dedicated educator and mentor, actively involved in graduate training programs and serving as a faculty trainer on multiple NIH T32 training grants. He currently is the Co-Director of the STI’s Interdisciplinary NIH Training Program in Transplantation Biology.