The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their pathfinding work on peripheral immune tolerance. This triplet of scientists has fundamentally shifted our comprehension of how the body clings to peace with itself stopping an immune system turned against its own tissues.
The founders of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and of the gene FOXP3, this discovery marks a very significant place in both basic immunology and its clinical therapeutics, offering new hope to treat autoimmune disorders, increase organ transplant acceptance and design better cancer immunotherapies.
Who is Mary E. Brunkow?
Mary E. Brunkow, born in 1961, is an American molecular biologist whose career has been defined by engagement with the genetic and molecular understanding of immune function deeply. She became less known in public arenas before the announcement of the Nobel Prize but within scientific circles Brunkow’s name has resounded with pioneering research. She came into the limelight of immunogenetic science with her work elucidating the FOXP3 gene mutation in scurfy mice together with Fred Ramsdell.
Mary E. Brunkow: Education
Brunkow’s early academic began with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Washington and she earned her master’s and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the eminent Princeton University. The education was laced with robust theoretical background and her introduction to practical and lab-based type of research which subsequently turned out to be vital in her critical discoveries.
Mary E. Brunkow: Career
The career of Brunkow walks two paths academia and the biotechnology sector after joining ISB in 2009, her past decade was spent pushing the envelope on projects in several biotechnology companies. Brunkow’s projects at ISB have dealt with a range of research subjects including family genomics, Lyme disease, sepsis biomarkers and scientific wellness.
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Brunkow’s most influential contributions were made back in 2001 when she and Ramsdell discovered an FOXP3 gene mutation in a mouse strain suffering from lethal autoimmunity. She is a Senior Program Manager at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle and has balanced her career between academic work and biotech innovation. Her deep insight into genetic aberrations provided the foundation for understanding regulatory T cells which are essential for preventing the immune system from injuring its host.
Mary E. Brunkow: Awards & Achievements
Brunkow may not have had many awards before still her recognition is associated with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded in 2025 for her contribution to FOXP3 discovery. The lasting effects of her work will include the future study of IPEX syndrome with a complex autoimmune disease. The Nobel trio made immortality for Brunkow for her contributions as core to one of the most important biological discoveries of the 21st century.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and Nobel Prize sources and is intended for informational purposes only.
