Keynote Speech
Prof. Tak Wah MAK
Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong
Dr. Mak is a world-renowned immunologist and cancer biologist. His landmark paper on the cloning of a human T cell receptor gene was an important breakthrough in our understanding of the human immune system. Since then, Dr. Mak has focused on elucidating the mechanisms underlying immune responses and tumorigenesis. He pioneered the use of genetically engineered mouse strains to identify genetic susceptibility factors associated with various immune disorders or different types of cancer. In particular, his team discovered that CTLA4 is a negative regulator of T cell activation, paving the way for the development of anti-CTLA4 agents now in clinical use for autoimmune diseases. Dr. Mak’s lab also made major contributions to defining the functions of PTEN as well as the relationship between the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 and defects in DNA repair. His achievements have been recognized through many international awards, including the Gairdner International Prize, the Novartis Prize in Immunology, the Sloan Prize, the Paul Ehrlich Prize and the King Faisal Prize of Medicine. He is a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He has been actively promoting Science in Hong Kong. For example, he has served as the Chairman of the Croucher Foundation from 2011 till 2021.
Topic: Neuroimmunology / Immunotherapy