Dr. Bellanti received his MD degree in 1958 from the University of Buffalo, followed by residency at the Children's Hospital of Buffalo, post-doctoral training in developmental immunology at the University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, and in viral immunology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC. He was recruited at Georgetown University SOM as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology in 1963 and is currently Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology-Immunology at GUMC. In 1975 he established the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology at GUMC where he continues research on antimicrobial immunity, evaluation of new vaccine strategies and developmental immunology. The Center has facilitated the training of over 250 national and international postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Bellanti is recipient of numerous honors and awards including Honoris Causa degrees from the University of Palermo, Italy, Georgetown University and the CEA Universidad San Pablo, Madrid, Spain. He has held numerous leadership positions and has published over 400 papers including the 4th edition of his widely acclaimed textbook in immunology, "Immunology IV: Clinical Applications in Health and Disease".