Santa J. Ono

Santa J. Ono, Ph.D., is a Canadian-American immunologist and a recognized leader in higher education administration across North America. Ono earned a Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in experimental medicine from McGill University. He has held faculty positions at Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and University College London, contributing to research in gene regulation within the immune system and advancing the understanding of inflammation in the eye.

Ono’s research on eye disease and immunology has led to service on review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust, as well as editorial boards of scientific journals. He served as senior vice president for academic affairs and university provost at the University of Cincinnati before becoming its 28th president, marking the first time a Japanese-American held that position. He was also appointed by the governor of Ohio to lead the state’s Biopharmaceutical Task Force and to the Board of the Ohio Third Frontier, an economic development program focused on technology.

Ono later served as the 15th president and vice chancellor of the University of British Columbia, where he chaired the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities and the Research Universities of British Columbia. He was named the 15th president of the University of Michigan, becoming the first Japanese-American to lead the university. During his tenure, the university introduced Campus Plan 2050, advanced the University of Michigan Center for Innovation in Detroit, and expanded the Go Blue Guarantee, which offers free tuition to families earning $125,000 or less. Ono addressed institutional challenges, including changes in federal policy and campus debates on diversity and inclusion.

As a biomedical scientist and entrepreneur, Ono has advised governments on education, innovation, science, and mental health, and has consulted for companies such as GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Novartis on research and development. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors, and the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He holds honorary doctorates from Chiba University, Tyndale University, and the Vancouver School of Theology, and has received the Reginald Wilson Diversity Leadership Award from the American Council on Education, the Professional Achievement Award from the University of Chicago, a Grand Challenges Hero Award from UCLA, and the NAAAP 100 Award from the National Association of Asian American Professionals.

Ono joined the Ellison Institute of Technology, founded by Larry Ellison, where he serves as president of EIT Global. He collaborates with EIT Oxford President Sir John Bell to develop and expand science programs at the institute’s Oxford campus. The institute, a partnership between Ellison and Oxford University, focuses on research in health and medical science, food security, clean energy, and artificial intelligence, aiming to develop commercially sustainable solutions to global challenges. Ono’s career in biomedical research and immunology, combined with his leadership in higher education, continues to influence science and technology innovation.