Mr. President, I have the great honor of presenting Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, the Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at the Yale University School of Medicine, principal investigator at the Howard Hughes Institute, and one of TIME magazine\u2019s 100 Most Influential People of 2024.<\/p>\n
Dr. Iwasaki, as a scientist who focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at mucosal surfaces, your research has been essential to advancing the understanding of immune responses in the human body and how best to prevent the transmission of viral and bacterial pathogens that are responsible for a host of debilitating illnesses.<\/p>\n
During the COVID-19 pandemic \u2014 a time fraught with fear, uncertainty, and speculation \u2014 you provided us with evidence, reason, and clarity. You were a warrior in a lab coat, working relentlessly to identify key immunopathological mechanisms underlying severe COVID and elucidating sex differences in the immune response to the virus. Your research and public health advocacy helped inform the strategies for mitigating COVID\u2019s most virulent impacts and equipped us with essential information to reduce our own levels of risk.<\/p>\n
Your important work in this area continues. As co-lead investigator of the Yale COVID-19 Recovery Study, you aim to determine the changes in the immune response of people with long COVID after vaccination. You also lead multiple other studies to investigate the pathobiology of long COVID, which serves as an insistent reminder to us all that, for many, the virus\u2019 disruptive legacy persists.<\/p>\n
Dr. Iwasaki, you are a champion for women in science, noting the \u201cveil of unconscious bias\u201d that often hinders women\u2019s progress in the STEM fields. Your vocal advocacy for equality of opportunity, strong mentorship programs, and fundamental changes to academic infrastructure promotes a more inclusive environment not only for women but also for scientists from underrepresented communities. The totality of your influence is widely and deeply felt.<\/p>\n
Mr. President, on behalf of the trustees, faculty, students, and staff at Clark University, it gives me great pleasure to request that the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, be conferred upon Dr. Akiko Iwasaki.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Citation Mr. President, I have the great honor of presenting Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, the Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at the Yale University School of Medicine, principal investigator at the Howard Hughes Institute, and one of TIME magazine\u2019s 100 Most Influential People of 2024. Dr. Iwasaki, as a scientist who focuses on the mechanisms of immune […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3526,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"cu_hondeg_classyear":"2024","cu_hondeg_speaker":"","cu_people_sortname":"Iwasaki","cu_people_title":"COVID-19 expert and scholar; professor, Yale University School of Medicine","cu_people_email":"","cu_people_phone":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"degreetype":[8],"peoplegroups":[3],"class_list":["post-3525","cu_people","type-cu_people","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","degreetype-d-sc","peoplegroups-science-exploration"],"yoast_head":"\n