Peter R. Hoffmann, Ph.D.
Professor
Area of Expertise ~ Inflammation, immunology, cancer biology
Email: peterrh@hawaii.edu
Phone: +1 808-692-1510
Biography: Dr. Peter Hoffmann became interested in the sciences as an undergraduate at the University of Iowa, where he received his B.A. in Biochemistry. After a short period working in Industry, he joined the U.S. Peace Corp as a volunteer science teacher in Fiji. This was followed by a MSPH degree in Public Health from UH Mānoa, and subsequently he received his PhD training in immunology research from the University of Colorado. After working at RCUH for two years, he relocated to the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine in 2004. At this Ame he joined the research laboratory of Dr. Marla Berry to study the role of selenoproteins in the immune system. After several years, Dr. Hoffmann established his own research program focused on the regulation of immunity and also mechanisms controlling various types of cancer.
During the period of 2010-present, Dr. Hoffmann has been employed by the Cell and Molecular Biology Department on the Asst./Assoc./Full Professor tenure-track and his laboratory has maintained an NIH-funded research program with a strong track-record of publication. Importantly, trainees have included students at the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and medical school levels as well as post-doctoral researchers. The research interests of the Hoffmann laboratory continue to diversify as collaborations are developed with other researchers at JABSOM, UH Cancer Center, and outside of the UH system. His teaching has included courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He also has been involved in the leadership administering the IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program across the state of Hawaiʻi.
Research: Our research interests include, but are not limited to, the role of selenium and selenoproteins in immunity; calpains/calpastatin in regulating inflammation.