Tak Wah Mak
Encyclopedia
Tak Wah Mak, OC
OOnt
FRS
FRSC
(born October 4, 1946 in China
) is an award-winning Canadian researcher who has worked in a variety of areas including biochemistry
, immunology, and cancer genetics
. He first became widely known for his pioneering work in the genetics of immunology
.
Born in southern China in 1946 and raised in Hong Kong
, Mak studied biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Wisconsin. In the early 1970s, he earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. After he obtained his degree, Dr. Mak moved to Toronto and became a Canadian citizen. In 1984, Dr. Tak Wah Mak was propelled into international stardom and the scientific big league for the discovery of the T-cell receptor, one of the most elusive problems of the time. This work on the cloning
of T-cell receptor genes, , has been cited nearly 1200 times. Dr. Mak’s 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. The basic research in cancer
conducted by Dr. Mak has been published in top international scientific journals and he has given several keynote addresses at cancer symposia across Canada and the United States.
In spite of offers from prestigious institutions around the world, Dr. Mak remained committed to Canada’s scientific community. In 1993, Dr. Mak received support to establish the AMGEN
Research Institute in Toronto
. As of 2005, AMGEN-produced papers have been cited more than 40,000 times. Dr. Mak holds Honorary Doctoral Degrees from numerous universities in North America and Europe. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada
and has been elected a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences
(USA) as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London (UK.) He has won international recognition in the forms of 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 and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
and the Novartis Prize in Immunology.
In 2004 Mak became the director of the Advanced Medical Discovery Institute and the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research. He is also the senior scientist, division of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, Advanced Medical Discovery Institute/Ontario Cancer Institute. He is a member of the Cancer Research Institute Scientific Advisory Council. Since 1984, he has been a Professor in the Departments of Medical Biophysics and Immunology at the University of Toronto
. Not only has Dr. Mak's tireless efficiency and motivation led him to ground breaking discoveries, he has mentored many young scientists who have gone on to become leaders in their respective fields.
From the early 2000s, Dr. Mak concentrated his efforts on the emerging field of cancer metabolism - a paradigm shift from previous anti-cancer approaches. Tak Wah Mak, Lewis Cantley, and Craig Thompson together founded Agios, a biotech pharmaceutical company whose sole purpose is to discover methods of targeting cancer metabolism. The trio have contributed immensely in a few short years to what was originally a forgotten paradigm. The discovery of the involvement of particular enzymes such as PKM2, mutated IDH as well as novel oncometabolites such as 2-hydroxyglutarate in cancer development have once again brought cancer energetics back to the forefront of cancer biology.
Dr. Mak has not rested on his laurels - he has tackled some of the biggest problems in cancer biology and immunology since his 1984 breakthrough. In this regard, Dr. Tak Wah Mak is a pioneer, global leader, world renowned, and a true visionary in the field of medical research.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
OOnt
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
FRS
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(born October 4, 1946 in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) is an award-winning Canadian researcher who has worked in a variety of areas including biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, immunology, and cancer genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
. He first became widely known for his pioneering work in the genetics of immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
.
Born in southern China in 1946 and raised in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Mak studied biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Wisconsin. In the early 1970s, he earned his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. After he obtained his degree, Dr. Mak moved to Toronto and became a Canadian citizen. In 1984, Dr. Tak Wah Mak was propelled into international stardom and the scientific big league for the discovery of the T-cell receptor, one of the most elusive problems of the time. This work on the cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of T-cell receptor genes, , has been cited nearly 1200 times. Dr. Mak’s 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. The basic research in cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
conducted by Dr. Mak has been published in top international scientific journals and he has given several keynote addresses at cancer symposia across Canada and the United States.
In spite of offers from prestigious institutions around the world, Dr. Mak remained committed to Canada’s scientific community. In 1993, Dr. Mak received support to establish the AMGEN
Amgen
Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,...
Research Institute in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. As of 2005, AMGEN-produced papers have been cited more than 40,000 times. Dr. Mak holds Honorary Doctoral Degrees from numerous universities in North America and Europe. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and has been elected a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(USA) as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London (UK.) He has won international recognition in the forms of the Emil von Behring Prize, the King Faisal Prize for Medicine, the Gairdner Foundation International Award
Gairdner Foundation International Award
The Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...
, the Sloan Prize of the General Motors Cancer Foundation, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
The Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize is given every year since 1952 for investigations in medicine. The prize carries a prize money of 100.000 Euro. The prize awarding ceremony is traditionally on March 14, the birthday of Paul Ehrlich, in the St. Pauls-Church, Frankfurt.Awarded are...
and the Novartis Prize in Immunology.
In 2004 Mak became the director of the Advanced Medical Discovery Institute and the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research. He is also the senior scientist, division of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, Advanced Medical Discovery Institute/Ontario Cancer Institute. He is a member of the Cancer Research Institute Scientific Advisory Council. Since 1984, he has been a Professor in the Departments of Medical Biophysics and Immunology at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. Not only has Dr. Mak's tireless efficiency and motivation led him to ground breaking discoveries, he has mentored many young scientists who have gone on to become leaders in their respective fields.
From the early 2000s, Dr. Mak concentrated his efforts on the emerging field of cancer metabolism - a paradigm shift from previous anti-cancer approaches. Tak Wah Mak, Lewis Cantley, and Craig Thompson together founded Agios, a biotech pharmaceutical company whose sole purpose is to discover methods of targeting cancer metabolism. The trio have contributed immensely in a few short years to what was originally a forgotten paradigm. The discovery of the involvement of particular enzymes such as PKM2, mutated IDH as well as novel oncometabolites such as 2-hydroxyglutarate in cancer development have once again brought cancer energetics back to the forefront of cancer biology.
Dr. Mak has not rested on his laurels - he has tackled some of the biggest problems in cancer biology and immunology since his 1984 breakthrough. In this regard, Dr. Tak Wah Mak is a pioneer, global leader, world renowned, and a true visionary in the field of medical research.
Honours
- 1986, elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of CanadaRoyal Society of CanadaThe Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
- 1988, awarded the Emil von Behring Prize
- 1989, awarded the Gairdner Foundation International AwardGairdner Foundation International AwardThe Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...
- 1990, awarded the Royal Society of Canada's McLaughlin Medal
- 1994, made a Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
- 1995, awarded the King Faisal Prize for Medicine
- 1996, awarded the Robert L. Noble PrizeRobert L. Noble PrizeThe Robert L. Noble Prize is awarded each year by the National Cancer Institute of Canada to researchers whose contributions have led to a significant advance in cancer research...
by the National Cancer Institute of Canada - 1996, awarded the Sloan Prize of the General Motors Cancer Foundation
- 2000, made an Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
- 2002, elected as a foreign associate to the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in the discipline of immunology - 2003, awarded the Killam Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts.
- 2004, awarded the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter PrizePaul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter PrizeThe Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize is given every year since 1952 for investigations in medicine. The prize carries a prize money of 100.000 Euro. The prize awarding ceremony is traditionally on March 14, the birthday of Paul Ehrlich, in the St. Pauls-Church, Frankfurt.Awarded are...
. - 2007, awarded the Order of OntarioOrder of OntarioThe Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
. - 2008, introduced to the Canadian Medical Hall of FameCanadian Medical Hall of FameThe Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is a Canadian charitable organization, founded in 1994, that honours Canadians who have contributed to the understanding of disease and improving the health of people. It has a museum in London, Ontario, and has an annual induction ceremony.-2012:*Terry Fox*John...
.