Announcement: Gregory Dekaban, PhD, appointed as Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology

I am pleased to announce that Gregory Dekaban, PhD, has been appointed as Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University effective February 1, 2021 to January 31, 2026.

Dr. Dekaban earned his BSc in Biochemistry at Queen’s University and his PhD in Biochemistry from Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. In 1987, he joined the Robarts Research Institute as a Scientist and the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry as an Assistant Professor. He was appointed as an Associate Professor in 1992 and full Professor in 1998. He has held several leadership positions at Robarts and has served as the Director of the Robarts Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories for the past six years. Currently, he is a Professor in Microbiology & Immunology and a member of the Neuroscience and Molecular Imaging programs.

He maintains an active research program to develop immunotherapies for acute neurotrauma and chronic neuroinflammation associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. He also is involved in developing in-vivo MRI-based cell tracking technologies, as well as vaccine adjuvant therapy needed to enhance therapeutic HIV vaccines.

Dr. Dekaban is the recipient of several awards including the National Cancer Institute of Canada Studentship, Morris Kroll Memorial Scholarship for Cancer Research, International Fogarty Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Medical Research Council of Canada Post-Doctoral Fellowship, and Western University President’s Occupational Health and Safety Award. He is also a two-time recipient of the Ontario Ministry of Health Career Scientist Award.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Dekaban on his appointment.

John Yoo, MD, FRCS(C), FACS
Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University