Fran Lund, Ph.D., director of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Immunology Institute, professor and Endowed Chair in Immunology in the Department of Microbiology, and senior scientist at the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, was honored with the 2025 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award on Tuesday, March 18 at the UAB Alumni House.
Lund, who has been pioneering advancements in the field of immunology for more than 30 years, presented her lecture, “To ‘B’ or Not to ‘B’ – That is the Question: The Lund and Randall Lab Journey to the Undiscovered Country of B Cell Memory” to a standing-room-only crowd consisting of UAB leaders, fellow lab mates, family, friends, supporters in the Department of Microbiology, and more.
“It is a huge honor to be here, and I am really glad that I came here, and I am really glad that I’m still here,” Lund said, adding that the collaborative nature of the faculty and staff at UAB was one of its biggest draws for her as she reflected on her career in science.
After a welcome by UAB President Ray Watts, M.D., Lund was introduced by Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and senior vice president of medicine at UAB. Agarwal presented Lund with a plaque and portrait after touting Lund’s contributions to advancing immunology research both at UAB and on a global stage.
“Dr. Lund’s exceptional career, marked by her seminal scientific achievements, leadership, and dedication to mentorship, makes her a truly deserving recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award,” Agarwal said.
Lund, whose research has advanced scientists’ understanding of immunology with a specific focus on B cell biology, autoimmune diseases, and vaccine development, started her lab at the Trudeau Institute, where she developed research programs studying humoral and cellular immune responses to pulmonary and intestinal pathogens. In 2008, she joined the research faculty at the University of Rochester, where she developed additional research programs in autoimmunity and allergy and began her work in human translational immunology. Then, in 2012, she and her scientific partner and husband, Troy Randall, Ph.D., were recruited to UAB, where she joined as professor and chair in the Department of Microbiology.
During her presentation, Lund highlighted members of the Lund-Randall Lab who have been with her in multiple lab locations over the past 28 years.
“That is critical to a lab – to have that continuity,” Lund said.
That continuity supported Lund’s career, which eventually led her to establish the UAB Immunology Institute in 2022. The institute currently includes more than 350 members across seven UAB schools and 51 divisions and departments.
Lund highlighted the advancements her lab has made in studying the instrumental role of B-cells in regulating immune responses via cytokines, the chemical signals released by B cells. Cytokines help coordinate how the immune system reacts to threats, ensuring that the response is appropriately scaled, lasts the appropriate length of time, and is effective in eliminating pathogens. Understanding their role provides insights into how the immune system functions and can lead to advancements in treating autoimmune diseases, infections, and even cancer.
Lund joins fellow esteemed faculty in the Heersink School of Medicine who are among the list of past honorees of the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award – including members of the Department of Microbiology such as J. Claude Bennett (1979), Max D. Cooper (1982), Jiri F. Mestecky (1992), Gail H. Cassell (1996), Eric Hunter (2002), Suzanne M. Michalek (2009), and John F. Kearney (2013).