Dr. Paolo Casali, one of the nation’s preeminent immunology researchers, has been appointed senior associate dean for research & graduate studies at UCI’s School of Medicine. The newly created position is designed to accelerate the growth of research programs in an effort to make the medical school one of the top 20 in the country. Casali joined the UCI faculty in 2002 as Donald Bren Professor of Medicine and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry; he’s also director of the campus’s Institute for Immunology. In his new role, Casali will focus on UCI’s efforts to translate basic science findings into clinical practice and then extend them into industry.