Santa Jeremy Ono

Santa Jeremy Ono Overview

Santa Jeremy Ono FRSC FCAHS, a Canadian-American immunologist and academic leader, assumed the role of the 15th President of the University of Michigan in October 2022. Prior to this position, he served as the President of the University of British Columbia from 2016 to 2022 and the University of Cincinnati from 2012 to 2016.

With an illustrious academic background, Ono has made significant contributions to the field of gene regulation in the immune system and the understanding of inflammation in the eye. His journey in academia began after acquiring a Bachelor of Arts in biological science from the University of Chicago in 1984, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in experimental medicine from McGill University in Canada in 1991.

Born in 1962 in Vancouver, Canada, to mathematician Takashi Ono, who emigrated from Japan to the United States in the late 1950s, Ono grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Towson, Maryland. His father held tenured positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, influencing Ono's academic upbringing and fostering a diverse cultural background—bestowed with both American citizenship by jus sanguinis and Canadian citizenship by jus soli.