# Olivera Finn
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{{short description|American immunologist}}
{{Infobox scientist
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| birth_name = Olivera Jankovic
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|11|02}}
| birth_place = [Niš](/source/Ni%C5%A1), [Yugoslavia](/source/Yugoslavia)
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| citizenship = [American](/source/United_States)
| fields = [Immunology](/source/Immunology)
| workplaces = [University of Pittsburgh](/source/University_of_Pittsburgh)
[Duke University](/source/Duke_University)
| patrons =
| education = [Inter American University of Puerto Rico](/source/Interamerican_University_of_Puerto_Rico) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science))
[Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) ([PhD](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy)) ([Postdoc](/source/Postdoctoral_researcher))
| alma_mater =
| thesis_title = Induction and characterization of functionally specific murine T-cell lymphomas
| thesis_url = https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/5601351
| thesis_year = 1979
| doctoral_advisor = [Henry Seymour Kaplan](/source/Henry_Seymour_Kaplan)
| academic_advisors = Arthur S. Levine
Bernard Amos
Richard Metzgar
Ron Herberman
[Ronald Levy](/source/Ronald_Levy_(scientist))
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| awards =
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award (1996)
AAI Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)
NCI Outstanding Investigator Award (2016)
AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology (2017)
American Cancer Society Faculty Award
UPCI Scientific Leadership Award
University of Pittsburgh Mentor of the Year Award
Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Faculty Award
AAI Excellence in Mentoring Award (2026)
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| spouse = Seth Finn (m. 1967)
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| children = 2
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'''Olivera J. Finn''' is a Yugoslav-American [immunologist](/source/immunologist) who is a distinguished professor and former chair of the department of immunology at the [University of Pittsburgh](/source/University_of_Pittsburgh) (2001–2013) and former director of the Cancer Immunology Program at the [University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute](/source/University_of_Pittsburgh_Cancer_Institute) (1999–2014). She was president of the [American Association of Immunologists](/source/American_Association_of_Immunologists) from 2007 to 2008 and served on the AAI Council from 2002 to 2006.[{{Cite web|url=http://www.aai.org/About/History/Past-Presidents-and-Officers/OliveraJFinn|title=The American Association of Immunologists - Olivera J. Finn}}][{{Cite web|url=https://www.oacd.health.pitt.edu/landing-page/women-medicine-and-science-presenters-panelists|title=Women in Medicine and Science Presenters & Panelists | OACD-health | University of Pittsburgh|website=www.oacd.health.pitt.edu}}]
==Early life and education==
Finn was born on November 2, 1949, in [Niš](/source/Ni%C5%A1), [Yugoslavia](/source/Yugoslavia) (now [Serbia](/source/Serbia)). She grew up and went to high school in [Niš](/source/Ni%C5%A1), which is south of [Belgrade](/source/Belgrade) in what is now [Serbia](/source/Serbia). She moved to the [United States](/source/United_States) when she was 18 years old, having married an American. They settled in [San Juan, Puerto Rico](/source/San_Juan%2C_Puerto_Rico), where her husband was stationed for three years as a [Coast Guard](/source/United_States_Coast_Guard) officer.[{{cite web |url=http://www.aai.org/AAISite/media/About/History/OHP/Transcripts/Trans-Inv_005-Finn_Olivera_J-2012_Final.pdf |title=The American Association of Immunologists Oral History Project |last=Finn |first=Olivera |date=May 5, 2012 |website=www.aai.org|format=PDF|access-date=2020-06-11}}]
In [Puerto Rico](/source/Puerto_Rico), she earned her [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in [Biology](/source/Biology) from the [Inter American University of Puerto Rico](/source/Interamerican_University_of_Puerto_Rico) at San Juan. At the [IAUPR](/source/Interamerican_University_of_Puerto_Rico), she was one of Dr. Alexander Acholonu's students. She published her first paper as an undergraduate, about completing a life cycle of a parasite.