# Mary E. Brunkow

_American molecular biologist and immunologist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/mary-e-brunkow
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Mary Elizabeth Brunkow (born April 13, 1961) is an American molecular biologist, immunologist and Nobel Prize laureate. She is known for co-identifying the gene later named FOXP3 as the cause of the scurfy mouse phenotype, a finding that became foundational for modern regulatory T cell biology.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 23 April 1961 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Portland ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137#P27))
- **Occupation:** molecular biologist; immunologist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137#P106))
- **Education:** Princeton University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137#P166))

## About

In 2025, she was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their work in peripheral immune tolerance.

## Questions

**When was Mary E. Brunkow born?**  
Mary E. Brunkow was born on 23 April 1961 in Portland.

**Where did Mary E. Brunkow study?**  
Mary E. Brunkow was educated at Princeton University.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Mary E. Brunkow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_E._Brunkow) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q114564137](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114564137) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Mary Brunkow - US Embassy Sweden Nobel Reception 2025.jpg by US Embassy Sweden (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Brunkow_-_US_Embassy_Sweden_Nobel_Reception_2025.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Mary E. Brunkow, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Mary Brunkow - US Embassy Sweden Nobel Reception 2025.jpg — US Embassy Sweden, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Mary E. Brunkow". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/mary-e-brunkow. Retrieved 5 November 2026.