Professor Mak Tak Wah is a Professor in the Departments of Medical Biophysics and Immunology at the University of Toronto, Director of the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, and Senior Scientist at Advanced Medical Discovery Institute/Ontario Cancer Institute.
Born in Southern China and raised in Hong Kong, Professor Mak studied biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Wisconsin. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. In 1984, he published his work on the cloning of T-cell receptor genes; by 2005, that article has been cited nearly 1,200 times. His role in advancing the use of genetically-altered mice in scientific study has led to important breakthroughs in immunology and understanding cancer at the cellular level. In 1993, he received support to establish the AMGEN Research Institute in Toronto.
Professor Mak received the Order of Canada (Officer) and the Order of Ontario, and has been elected a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal Society of London. He has won international recognition including the Emil von Behring Prize, the King Faisal Prize for Medicine, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Sloan Prize of the General Motors Cancer Foundation, the Paul Ehrlich Prize and the Novartis Prize in Immunology.
In recognition of his pioneering work in immunology and cancer research, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.
