Arne Akbar is Professor of Immunology at University College London. He is internationally recognized for his studies on mechanisms that control the differentiation and senescence of human T lymphocytes. His group was one of the first to identify human regulatory T cells. He was closely involved in the development of Simulect used for the prevention of acute solid organ graft rejection that has been used to treat ~300,000 patients worldwide. His work involves studies at the interface between academia, industry and clinical practice. He is poised to deliver high impact translational insight into enhancing immunity during ageing that has global relevance.