Graduates at��the 91����’s��151st Commencement,��scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium,��will hear from��,��Class of ’83, who shared the��.����

Brunkow, who studied��molecular and cellular��biology at the UW, won the Nobel Prize for “groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.”��Brunkow said she plans to inspire graduates to pursue innovations and discoveries��that will make an impact around the world.��

“I’m honored to be addressing the��Class of 2026 at the 91����, the place where I discovered the joy of asking hard questions in a community that believes in possibility,” Brunkow said.��“At the UW, mentors opened lab doors, curiosity was encouraged��and persistence was taught by example. I look forward to celebrating and encouraging the next generation of explorers, creators and changemakers at the institution that sparked my own sense of what a life in science��—��and service��—��could be.”��

Brunkow��shares��the��Nobel��Prize��with��Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi��for their combined 91������into��how the immune system works. Brunkow and Ramsdell conducted 91���� together��at��Celltech��Chiroscience,��formerly Darwin Molecular,��in Bothell,��Washington.��They��identified��a mutation in a gene called��Foxp3,��which��makes��mice susceptible to a��systemic autoimmune disorder��and is��manifested by a visible skin condition. Mutations in the human��equivalent of the Foxp3 gene are also responsible for , which has symptoms including intestinal problems,��diabetes��and scaly, itchy skin.����

Later,��Sakaguchi described the role of the��wild-type��Foxp3��gene in the development of certain white blood cells known as regulatory T cells.��These cells, which Sakaguchi discovered, keep other T cells from mistakenly attacking normal tissues. Regulatory T cells also call a ceasefire once the body gets an infection under control.��

Together, these discoveries��led��91����ers to develop��a��concept��called “peripheral immune tolerance,”��through��which��the body��keeps��the immune system in check��by��avoiding��autoimmune responses that can damage healthy tissues. The��91������field��based on this concept��holds promise in advancing therapies for cancers and autoimmune��diseases,��and��improving��treatments to reduce transplant rejection.��

“Mary Brunkow’s groundbreaking work reflects the power of curiosity, persistence and discovery to improve lives around the world,” said UW President Robert J. Jones. “We are proud to count her among the 91����’s distinguished alumni and honored to welcome her back to inspire the Class of 2026 as they begin their own journeys of service, leadership and innovation.”��

Brunkow��is��currently��a��distinguished investigator and��senior program manager at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. After graduating from��the UW,��she��went on to earn her doctoral degree from Princeton University in 1991.��In addition to being the featured speaker at Commencement, Brunkow��also��will��receive��the Alumna��Summa Laude��Dignata��Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a UW graduate.����

Contact Jackson Holtz at��jjholtz@uw.edu for more information or to arrange an interview with Brunkow.��

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The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute on Monday jointly to — an alum of the 91���� — along with Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.”

Brunkow is a senior program manager at the , and received her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the UW in 1983. Brunkow went on to .

Brunkow’s award-winning 91���� comes from when she was working with Ramsdell at Celltech Chiroscience in Bothell, Washington. The two 91����ers identified a mutation in a gene called foxp3, which makes mice susceptible to a type of skin disorder. Mutations in the human equivalent of the foxp3 gene are also responsible for , which has symptoms including intestinal problems, diabetes and scaly, itchy skin.

Sakaguchi later described the role of the wild-type��foxp3��gene in the development of certain white blood cells known as regulatory T cells. These cells, which Sakaguchi discovered, keep other T cells from mistakenly attacking normal tissues. Regulatory T cells also call a cease-fire once the body gets an infection under control.

These findings provided insights into the concept of “peripheral immune tolerance,” which keeps the immune system in check by avoiding autoimmune responses that can damage healthy tissues. The field, which was honored by this year’s Nobel Prize, holds promise in advancing therapies for cancers and autoimmune diseases, and for improvements in treatments to reduce transplant rejection.

Brunkow did not immediately know that she had been awarded the Nobel Prize. She only found out when the family dog alerted them to someone at their door this morning — it was an .

Brunkow is the sixth UW alumnus to win a Nobel Prize after Jeffrey C. Hall, George Hitchings, George Stigler, Martin Rodbell and Linda B. Buck. Hitchings, Stigler and Buck all earned their bachelor’s degrees from UW, graduating in 1927, 1931 and 1975, respectively. Rodbell and Hall earned their doctoral degrees from UW in 1954 and 1971, respectively.

The previous Nobel prize for a scientist working in Seattle went to David Baker, professor of biochemistry at the UW School of Medicine and director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design. .

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