Elizabeta Nemeth

Professor, Medicine, University of California Los Angeles

310-825-7499

10833 Le Conte Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90095

UC Profile
http://www.iron.med.ucla.edu/

Elizabeta Nemeth is a Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Director of the UCLA Center for Iron Disorders. Dr. Nemeth received her BS in Molecular Biology at the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and a PhD in Cell, Molecular and Neurosciences at the University of Hawaii. Since joining UCLA in 2002, Dr. Nemeth has been studying iron homeostasis and its disorders, with specific focus on the function of the hepatic peptide hormone hepcidin and its receptor/iron transporter ferroportin. Her work helped define the regulation of hepcidin production by iron, inflammation and erythropoiesis, described the role of hepcidin in different iron disorders including hereditary hemochromatosis, ß-thalassemia and anemia of inflammation, elucidated the mechanism of action of hepcidin as the ligand of ferroportin, described a novel hepcidin-regulating hormone erythroferrone, and developed novel hepcidin-targeted candidates for the treatment of iron disorders. Dr. Nemeth is also dedicated to translation of basic research and to this end has co-founded three biotechnology companies focused on hepcidin-targeted diagnostics and therapeutics. In 2007, Dr. Nemeth received the Grace Goldsmith Award from the American College of Nutrition for "significant achievements in the field of nutrition by a scientist under the age of 50 years". In 2019, she received the Presidential Award of the International BioIron Society, for “seminal work on the mode of action of hepcidin and the molecular basis of systemic iron homeostasis”. In 2021, Dr. Nemeth received William Dameshek Prize from the American Society of Hematology, for recent outstanding contribution to the field of hematology. Dr. Nemeth had served as a regular member of the NIH Molecular and Cellular Hematology Study Section and was elected President of the International Bioiron Society in 2019. She is also an associate editor of the American Journal of Hematology and a co-director of the UCLA K program for young faculty career development.

Biography

Elizabeta Nemeth is a Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Director of the UCLA Center for Iron Disorders. Dr. Nemeth received her BS in Molecular Biology at the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and a PhD in Cell, Molecular and Neurosciences at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Nemeth came to UCLA for a postdoctoral fellowship in 2002, and has been studying the pathobiology of the iron-regulatory peptide hepcidin ever since. She has made major contributions to the understanding of iron homeostasis and of its dysregulation in many diseases. She characterized the regulation of hepcidin production by inflammation and iron, and elucidated the mechanism of action of hepcidin in regulating the absorption of dietary iron and its release from stores. Dr. Nemeth also described the role of hepcidin in various iron disorders including hereditary hemochromatosis, iron-loading anemias (e.g. β-thalassemia), and iron-restricted anemias associated with inflammation and chronic kidney disease. In 2007, Dr. Nemeth received the Grace Goldsmith Award from the American College of Nutrition for “significant achievements in the field of nutrition by a scientist under the age of 50 years”. Dr. Nemeth’s laboratory has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health and grants from biotechnology sector. Dr. Nemeth is currently serving as a standing member of the Molecular and Cellular Hematology Study Section of the National Institutes of Health, a member of the Board of Directors of the International Bioiron Society, and a member of the Editorial Board of Blood. She helped start three biotechnology companies: Intrinsic LifeSciences, focused on developing iron diagnostics, Merganser Biotech, focused on developing hepcidin peptide therapeutics, and Silarus Therapeutics, focused on developing erythroferrone-targeted therapeutics.

Awards and Honors

  • Kotobuki Scholarship, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1994-1995.
  • 100 in 100 Recognition of Trailblazing Women in Honor of Women's Equality Day, UCLA Health, 2020.
  • Annual Biomedical Science Symposium Award for the Overall Best Presentation, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1998.
  • Tester Memorial Symposium, First Place Prize for the Best Research Paper Presented, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1998.
  • Olympus Microscope Award for the Best Poster, European Placenta Group/International Federation of Placenta Associations (Denmark), 1997.
  • Junior Faculty Award, UCLA Department of Medicine Research Day, 2005.
  • Grace Goldsmith Award, American College of Nutrition, 2007.
  • Presidential Award, International BioIron Society, 2019.
  • Outstanding Tutor Award, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, 2010-2019.
  • Women Leaders in the Field of Metabolism, Cell Metabolism Series, 2016.
  • William Dameshek Prize, American Society of Hematology, 2021.
  • Plenary Presentation, European Hematology Association Meeting (Amsterdam), 2019.
  • Junior Faculty Award, UCLA Department of Medicine Research Day, 2007.

Publications