Canada's top scientists honoured for their remarkable achievements in the field of cancer research

TORONTO (October 17, 2005) - The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Cancer Research and the Ontario Cancer Research Network have recognized Canadian talent today by honouring four of Canada's top scientists, Drs. Jim Till, Ernest McCulloch and Tak Mak of the Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, and Dr. Tony Pawson of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital for their remarkable achievements in the field of cancer research.

The researchers were recognized during an honorary reception and dinner at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

"CIHR is particularly pleased to honour world-leading scientists who have made an exceptional contribution to the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer.  They have enriched Canada's health research landscape," said CIHR President Dr. Alan Bernstein.

"Cancer researchers worldwide have for some time recognized the truly ground-breaking achievements of these four Canadian researchers," said Dr. Philip Branton, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Cancer Research.

Dr. Bob Phillips, President and CEO of OCRN said, "Canada needs to celebrate the achievements of its cancer researchers. The scientists honoured tonight have pushed back the frontiers of knowledge, placing them at the forefront of their respective fields."

About the researchers
Drs. Ernest McCulloch and James Till (Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto) are known for their pioneering work on haemapoietic cells.  A major breakthrough was their development of the spleen colony assay in irradiated mice that led to the identification of stem cells.  This discovery led to a revolution in research in haematopoiesis and the emergence of a critical new avenue for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer.  Their work has led to the awarding of the 2005 Lasker Prize.

Dr. Tak Mak (Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto) initially studied T cells and his pivotal early work led to the cloning of the T cell receptor, a major milestone in our understanding of the immune system.  His later studies have utilized mouse genetics to identify the roles of many of the key regulators of cell growth and differentiation.  A major focus of this work relates to breast cancer.

Dr. Tony Pawson (Samuel Lunefeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto) has been studying molecular aspects of cell signaling, especially the roles of cancer genes.  A major breakthrough was the emergence and confirmation of his hypothesis that signal transduction is controlled by the formation of protein complexes.  This work has led to a paradigm shift in our understanding of the genetics and biochemistry of cell biology and cancer.

Click here for more detailed biographies on the researchers.

About CIHR
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to close to 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/

About Ontario Cancer Research Network
The Ontario Cancer Research Network (OCRN) is a not-for-profit corporation working to accelerate the development and testing of new cancer therapies in Ontario to bring new innovative treatments to patients sooner. OCRN was established with funding from the Government of Ontario.

From left to right: Drs.  Jim Till, Tony Pawson, Phillip Branton, Tak Mak, Minister Bennett, Alan Bernstein.
Front: Drs. Bob Phillips and Ernest McCulloch.

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