Reflections on Henry G Kunkel as a mentor in clinical investigation

Abstract

Henry Kunkel spent nearly his entire professional life doing basic and clinical research at Rockefeller University. Many believe that he deserved to be a Nobel Laureate, not for one line of investigation, but for several in entirely distinct areas of medicine. Many of the leaders in immunology research during the last 50 years, especially research on systemic lupus erythematosus, received their research training in Henry Kunkel's laboratory. In this article, I attempt to illustrate his genius as a mentor from recollections of his scientific style and approach when I was a fellow in his laboratory almost 30 years ago. Henry Kunkel's legacy as a mentor continues today through the continuing contributions of his Fellows and their own trainees in immunological research.