Jul 6, 2007 -- Liise-anne Pirofski, MD, professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology, and Mitrani Professor of Biomedical Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. The honor recognizes Dr. Pirofski’s contributions to the field of microbiology. Specifically, Dr. Pirofski’s research has led to new insights into the immune response to Cryptococcus and Pneumococcus, microbes that cause meningitis and pneumonia. Her studies focus on the antibody and cellular responses that can protect against these organisms, with the ultimate goal of developing improved approaches to preventing and treating the diseases that they cause. Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-reviewed process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. Dr. Pirofski, who is also chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Einstein, has been a member of the Einstein faculty since 1988. She received her bachelor’s degree at the University of California at Berkeley and her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1982.