Scientific Advisory Board
Tak W. Mak, PhD
Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto
Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics and Immunology
University of Toronto, Canada
Co-Director (Scientific), Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong
Honorary Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Hong Kong
Tak W. Mak, PhD
Tak W. Mak is internationally known for his pioneering work on the genetics and molecular biology of cancer and the immune system. In 1984, his group cloned the gene encoding the human TCRβ chain, providing the basis for CAR-T treatment. His team also showed that CTLA-4 negatively regulates T cell activation, paving the way for checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. Most recently, his team established that the brain communicates with the immune system via T and B cells producing acetylcholine.
In the biotech arena, Dr. Mak co-founded Agios Pharmaceuticals and Treadwell Therapeutics. These companies specialize in delineating metabolic vulnerabilities in tumor cells that can be exploited as novel cancer therapies. Two IDH inhibitors are now FDA-approved for AML treatment, and two first-in-class agents targeting aneuploidy in advanced tumors are now in phase II clinical trials.
Dr. Mak has published over 1000 peer-reviewed research papers, holds dozens of patents, and has won numerous awards.