Elvin A. Kabat
Record #:	Death Date:	Graduating Year:

3856

June 16, 2000

Non P&S

Summary:

Higgins Professor Emeritus of Microbiology. He was a world-renowned immunologist whose contributions aided the fundamental understanding of antibodies. He founded the field of immunochemistry, the study of the chemical reactions and phenomena of immunity. His mentor, the late Dr. Michael Heidelberger, was regarded as the father of modern immunology. Dr. Kabat and Dr. Heidelberger shared Columbia's Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize in 1977 for outstanding research in biochemistry. Kabat was Michael Heidelberger's first graduate student at Columbia in the 1930's. A commemorative issue of Molecular Immunology honored Dr. Kabat's 70th birthday in 1984, marking the first time the journal devoted an issue to an active scientist. Dr. Kabat received the nation's highest award for scientific achievement, the National Medal of Science, in 1991. A native of Manhattan, Dr. Kabat received master's and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry from Columbia. He joined the P&S faculty in 1941 and held appointments in microbiology and in human genetics and development. Photo.

Citation(s):

P&S 21 (Winter 2001) P 34