Soon after arriving at Georgetown in 1963, Dr. Bellanti realized that his goal of generating new knowledge in immunology and translating it to clinical use would require adopting a multidisciplinary, translational approach to immunology that would involve a horizontal matrix including both basic and clinical investigators, allied health professionals, statisticians, health educators and the public. Accordingly, in 1975, he established the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology (ICISI) at Georgetown University Medical Center and later became the director of the Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Virology and Immunology in the Department of Laboratory Medicine of Georgetown University Hospital.He is also the author of a series of textbooks on immunology that have been widely used across the country for decades.
Dr. Bellanti focused a major investigative effort on antimicrobial research, evaluation of new vaccine strategies and developmental immunology. With other investigators, he studied antibody and phagocytic cell function in the newborn human and in experimental model systems. He and his colleagues described the antiviral activity of the secretory IgA system in respiratory secretions and later cellular responses to viral infections following immunization or natural infection. Dr. Bellanti’s academic career has been nurtured by his previous research that has focused on the immunopathogenesis of infectious diseases, and the allergic and autoimmune disorders. His experience as a GUMC clinical investigator was established by a track record of successfully directing major R01, Center and Program Project awards as well as training grants. In addition to teaching medical students and residents, he directed a postgraduate training program in developmental immunology from 1968-1996 and a clinical residency program in allergy and immunology from 1978-1992. The ICISI has trained over 300 postdoctoral candidates in basic and clinical immunology who came from both across the U.S. and from around the world. Dr. Bellanti draws upon his pioneering experience as an established clinical investigator in the field of translational research in immunology.