JCI’s Conversations with Giants in Medicine: Gregg Semenza

Gregg Semenza is a geneticist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine whose research has been recognized with multiple awards for advancements in biomedical research, including the Wiley Prize, the ASCI Korsmeyer Award, the Gairdner Award, and, most recently, the Lasker Prize for Basic Medical Research. Semenza’s discovery of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) uncovered an essential oxygen-sensing pathway that supports cellular function in a multitude of physiological and pathological contexts. In an interview with the JCI’s Editor-at-Large, Ushma Neill, Semenza describes the early work that led to the discovery of HIF and the collaborations that influenced him along the way. He also discusses how tackling fundamental questions in biology can lead to serendipitous and important discoveries that ultimately impact our understanding of human disease.