Gerald J. Gleich

Gerald J. Gleich
Gleich in 2022
Born (1931-05-14) May 14, 1931 (age 95)
Michigan, US
EducationUniversity of Michigan – BA, MD
Known forGleich's syndrome
Childrenseven, including Caroline Gleich
Scientific career
FieldsImmunology
WorkplacesMayo Clinic
University of Utah

Gerald J. Gleich is an American research professor at the University of Utah whose research has focused on eosinophils and allergic inflammatory reactions. He is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and the subtopic of allergy and immunology, as well as by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.

Early life and education

Gleich was born in Michigan in 1931. His parents were Gordon Joseph Gleich and Agnes (Ederer) Gleich.

He studied medicine at the University of Michigan. He did his medical internship and residency at Philadelphia General Hospital and Jackson Memorial Hospital. He had a research fellowship at Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester focused on allergies and immunology.

From 1957 to 1959, he also served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force, with the rank of captain.

Career

In 1965, Gleich started researching allergies at the Mayo Clinic and Foundation. In 1982, he became the chair of the Department of Immunology, a Distinguished Investigator of the Mayo Foundation. In 1995, he was awarded the George M. Eisenberg Professorship of Medicine and Immunology. During his 36 years at the Mayo Clinic, he was involved in the 1979 update to the Surgeon General's ground-breaking report on Smoking and Health. In 2001, he moved to the University of Utah.

The main focus of his research was eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that is involved in some allergies and immune disorders. His lab's research demonstrated that degranulation of eosinophils causes the release of characteristic cytotoxic (cell-killing) and other substances, resulting in the identification of eosinophil-related disorders, including Gleich's syndrome, which was named after him. In 1993, he was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his research into the structure, biological properties and pathogenic role of the proteins in the cytoplasmic granules of eosinophils.

With Theresa Mansi, Steve Tullman, and other colleagues at the University of Utah, he co-founded NexEos Bio, a company developing diagnostic tools and treatments for eosinophil-related diseases.

Awards and activities

Committees and boards

Awards and honors

Gleich has received many awards, including:

Publications

Gleich has published more than 700 journal articles.

Personal life

He has been married twice. He has seven children, including the environmentalist Caroline Gleich.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gerald J. Gleich". University of Utah Health. 2026-02-02. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "October Webinar 2024 IES Lifetime Achievement Award Webinar: Celebrating Gerald J. Gleich's Legacy in Eosinophil Research". International Eosinophil Society. 2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
  3. 1 2 3 Shurin, Michael R.; Shurin, Galina V.; Shurin, Ken M. (2022-12-19). Basic and Clinical Immunology by Names: From the Biblical Time Until the Present. Springer Nature. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978-3-031-14529-2.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Gleich, Gerald Joseph". Who's Who in Science and Engineering 2008-2009. Marquis Who's Who. December 2007. p. 614. ISBN 978-0-8379-5768-5. OCLC 145554910.
  5. 1 2 Breu, Giovanna (26 March 1990). "L-tryptophan, once touted as a cure for insomnia, is implicated in a mysterious illness". People Magazine.
  6. ↑ "Smoking and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General - Digital Collections - National Library of Medicine". collections.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
  7. ↑ "U researcher recognized for decades-long career studying eosinophils". University of Utah (Press release). 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
  8. 1 2 Furst, Jay (16 October 2023). "Six Mayo Clinic alumni honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards for exceptional achievement". Mayo Clinic.
  9. ↑ "Recursion, UofU launch incubator". The Enterprise. Salt Lake City. 17–23 August 2020. p. 5.
  10. ↑ "The Power of Never Giving Up". Center For Technology & Commercialization, University of Utah. 2019.
  11. ↑ Valent, Peter; Klion, Amy D.; Horny, Hans-Peter; Roufosse, Florence; Gotlib, Jason; Weller, Peter F.; Hellmann, Andrzej; Metzgeroth, Georgia; Leiferman, Kristin M.; Arock, Michel; Butterfield, Joseph H.; Sperr, Wolfgang R.; Sotlar, Karl; Vandenberghe, Peter; Haferlach, Torsten (2012-09-01). "Contemporary consensus proposal on criteria and classification of eosinophilic disorders and related syndromes". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 130 (3). Elsevier: 607–612.e9. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2012.02.019. ISSN 0091-6749. PMC 4091810. PMID 22460074. G. J. Gleich has consultant arrangements with GlaxoSmithKline, Ception, Cephalon, Teva, and Beiersdorf; receives grant support from GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and the University of Utah; receives royalties from Ception, Cephalon, Teva, and the Mayo Foundation; receives equities from Immune Design; is on the Board of Directors for the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders; and has submitted patents for studies of eosinophil-associated diseases.
  12. ↑ "Elected Fellows". American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Retrieved 2026-09-01.
  13. ↑ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (2019-08-10). "They'd Climb the Highest Mountain, but Not Necessarily for Each Other". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-09-01.