Jennifer Gommerman PhD

Biography

Jen received her Ph.D. (Immunology) at the University of Toronto in 1998. She went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and then joined Biogen Inc. as a Staff Scien􀆟st in 2000. A􀅌er 3 years in Industry, she returned to Academia as an Assistant Professor (Immunology) at the University of Toronto in 2003, in 2015 was promoted to full Professor and in 2020 was awarded a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Tissue Specific Immunity. Jen's basic research focuses on autoimmunity, par􀆟cularly the disease Mul􀆟ple Sclerosis. More recently she has been studying the an􀆟body response to SARS-CoV-2 in pa􀆟ents with COVID-19. She has mentored over 30 undergraduate students, 10 MSc and 16 PhD graduate students as well as 14 Post-Doctoral Fellows and served as the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies from 2012-2020.

From the Nomination

Jen is a true mentor, in every aspect of what it means to be someone who supports, teaches, advises, listens, and guides her trainees. I have seen firsthand the enthusiasm and encouragement she provides to her own graduate students, and to all the students in the Department of Immunology during her tenure as Associate Chair, Graduate Studies. She is simply an exceptional mentor and an exemplar for all of us in Immunology and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.