| For immediate release - |
2006-29 |
OTTAWA (July 4, 2006) - Dr. Anthony Pawson, Professor at the University of Toronto, principle investigator and former director of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, and a distinguished investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), has just been named a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by her Majesty the Queen.
Dr. Pawson is an international leader in the field of cell signalling, whose groundbreaking research has led to new strategies to treat diseases such as cancers. His discovery that the molecular mechanisms by which cells communicate are controlled by the formation of protein complexes has transformed our insights into the human body.
"Dr. Pawson has made landmark contributions to our fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that control cell behaviour. His research has transformed how we think about diseases like cancer and has led to broad applications in areas as diverse as cancer research and brain science," said Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of CIHR. "Dr. Pawson's research which was originally viewed as quite contrary to the prevailing wisdom is now central to our thinking about how the human body works."
Dr. Pawson, born and raised in the UK, came to Canada and has remained here because of the now exceptional opportunities for researchers here in Canada to be amongst the world's best. In 1985 Dr. Pawson joined the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital after receiving his PhD in 1976 from King's College at the University of London, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of California at Berkeley and a position at the University of British Columbia. He is also a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto.
He has received a number of prestigious international awards including CIHR's Michael Smith Prize in Health Research, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, and the Heineken Prize from the Royal Netherlands Academy. Dr. Pawson is a Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Canada and an Officer of the Order of Canada.
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 over 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/
About Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital is recognized nationally and internationally for its excellence in the provision of compassionate patient care, teaching and research. Its key priority programs are Women's and Infants' Health, Surgical Subspecialties and Oncology, Internal Medicine and Subspecialties, and the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute. It is a University of Toronto-affiliated patient care, teaching and research centre. Visit www.mtsinai.on.ca/.
About the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital's internationally renowned Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute is committed to excellence in health research, the training of young investigators, and a culture of research-based medicine both within the Hospital and the Institute. Visit www.mshri.on.ca/.
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The following document is available at: www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Detailed Biography of Dr. Pawson
Further information:
Marie-France Poirier, CIHR Media Relations, (613) 941-4563, mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Jodi Salem, Publicist, Mount Sinai Hospital, 416.586.4800 ext. 8306, jsalem@mtsinai.on.ca
