Janko Nikolich honored with highest faculty award – Regents Professor

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Dear colleagues,

I’m thrilled to share that Janko Nikolich, MD, PhD, director of the Aegis Consortium and chair of the Department of Immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, was confirmed as a Regents Professor at yesterday’s Arizona Board of Regents’ meeting. This is the highest faculty honor awarded to full professors whose achievements in scholarship, teaching, research or creative work are truly exceptional.

Dr. Nikolich is a globally respected immunologist and gerontologist whose work continues to shape the future of health care and aging research. His contribution to the University of Arizona’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was extraordinary. Working with Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, Dr. Nikolich developed one of the world’s first and most accurate antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2. Thanks to our partnership with the state, the antibody test was deployed throughout Arizona to the benefit of hundreds of thousands of Arizonans. That seminal research also led to the first world’s publication about long-term immunity against COVID-19.

Dr. Nikolich’s work to understand the complex mechanisms of aging and immunity is equally impressive. His pioneering research into rejuvenating the immune system of older people to improve health throughout the lifespan is contributing to the fundamental knowledge of T cell aging and immune defense.

Since joining the College of Medicine – Tucson in 2008, Dr. Nikolich has led with vision and purpose. He is a beloved mentor and educator who inspires the next generation of biomedical leaders to push boundaries and explore bold ideas. He brings that same spirit to the Health Sciences, where the Aegis Consortium is building a scalable model to improve pandemic preparedness for Arizona and beyond. He is also a member of BIO5.

I was proud to watch as the Arizona Bioindustry Association presented Dr. Nikolich with its Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year award in 2021, the same year he was honored as the Gerontologist of the Year by the Arizona Geriatrics Society. This past November, he was elected to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts – a remarkable recognition of his international impact from his home country.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Nikolich on this new and very well-earned recognition.

Warm regards,
Michael D. Dake, MD
Senior Vice President, University of Arizona Health Sciences