CAMS Oxford Institute (COI) Co-Director, Group Lead (COI, Nuffield Department of Medicine & MRC Human Immunology Unit, WIMM) & Fellow of University College, Professor Tao Dong, has been appointed the Ita Askonas Professor of Translational Immunology. Tao has worked on understanding T cell responses to viral infections and in cancer for more than two decades, establishing her own successful research group alongside founding the COI. This appointment recognises the success of her research career.
The appointment holds extra value for Tao as Ita was Tao's mentor for many years:
"I am thrilled to receive this Professorship named after Ita. It means a lot to me, and I am grateful for the recognition not just for me, but also my lab members and colleagues in Oxford and China. Ita was my mentor for 10 years at the most critical stage of my career, I genuinely think I would not have made it without her advice and encouragement over the years. It has been 10 years since she left us in January 2013, but somehow, I feel she is still with me and often ask myself what would Ita say when I need help and advice." - Prof. Tao Dong.
Read the full story on the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute website.