Announcement: Gregory Dekaban, PhD, appointed Acting Chair, Microbiology & Immunology

I am pleased to announce that Gregory Dekaban, PhD, has been appointed as Acting Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University effective from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 or until a new Chair is appointed.

Professor Dekaban earned his BSc in Biochemistry at Queen’s University and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. In 1987, he joined the Robarts Research Institute as a Scientist and the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Western University 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 the Robarts Research Institute including serving as the Director of the Robarts Molecular Medicine Research Laboratories for the past six years. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, a member of the Neuroscience Program and Molecular Imaging Program and a Scientist at Robarts Research Institute.
Professor Dekaban is the recipient of several awards including 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, a two-time award from Ontario Ministry of Health Career Scientist Award; and Western University President’s Occupational Health and Safety Award.

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

Please join me in congratulating Professor Dekaban on his appointment.


Davy Cheng, MD MSc FRCPC FCAHS CCPE
Dean (Acting), Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Distinguished University Professor & EPICOR Research Chair
Western University, London, Canada