Dr. Thomas Wynn is a distinguished leader in immunology and inflammation research currently serving as Vice President and Head of Discovery in Pfizer's Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit. He joined Pfizer in 2017 to translate fundamental immunological insights into therapeutic opportunities after establishing a distinguished career at the National Institutes of Health. At NIH, he served as Senior Investigator and Chief of the Immunopathogenesis Section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases where he pioneered research on type-2 cytokine driven inflammatory diseases and fibrosis mechanisms. Dr. Wynn earned his PhD from the University of Wisconsin's Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and completed postdoctoral training in parasitic diseases at NIAID NIH under Dr. Alan Sher.
Dr. Wynn's seminal 2008 publication Cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis has received over 1,960 citations and established foundational understanding of fibrotic processes across multiple organ systems. His research has focused on macrophage-mediated fibrosis in helminth infections and the role of cytokines and growth factors in chronic inflammation tissue regeneration and disease resolution. At Pfizer he leads discovery efforts in immune tolerance epithelial cell biology immunometabolism innate immunity and fibrosis across therapeutic areas including rheumatology dermatology and gastroenterology. With over 250 publications in prestigious journals including Nature Science and Nature Immunology his work has significantly advanced the understanding of inflammatory disease pathways and their therapeutic implications.
Recognized for his exceptional contributions Dr. Wynn received the Howard A. Young Distinguished Service Award for his advocacy of industry-academic collaboration in cytokine research and is listed among Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers in Immunology. He has been honored with the Oswaldo Cruz Medal from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and the Bailey K. Ashford Medal from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. As scientific director of Pfizer's global postdoctoral program since 2019 he mentors emerging scientists while strengthening partnerships with the International Cytokine and Interferon Society. His current work focuses on identifying novel therapeutic targets for autoimmune inflammatory and fibrotic diseases through innovative external collaborations and internal discovery initiatives that bridge basic science with clinical applications.
