Peter Parham is a professor in the departments of structural biology as well as microbiology and immunology at Stanford University. Dr. Parham’s research has focused on proteins of the human immune system that vary greatly between individuals and populations. These differences, the consequence of natural selection, not only modulate the immune response to infection and cancer, but also influence the success of reproduction and therapeutic transplantation of cells, tissues, and organs. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society in 2008.