Speaker

Tak W. Mak is internationally known for his work on the genetics of cancer and the immune system. He led the group that first cloned the gene of the human T cell receptor. This discovery laid the ground work for our understanding of T cell biology and heralded the CAR-T and TCR-T technologies. His lab was also a pioneer in the genetic modification of mouse strains. Notably, in 1995, his group used mutant mice to show that CTLA4 is a negative regulator of T cell activation, paving the way for the development of immunotherapeutic agents. In a different vein of investigation, his team recently showed that the brain communicates with the immune system via T and B cells producing acetylcholine, a finding with implications for future treatments of cancer and autoimmune or neurodegenerative diseases. His accomplishments are recognized through many prestigious awards and honours. Dr. Mak holds a dozen honorary degrees from numerous universities in North America and aboard.

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