The George Bray Founder's Award recognizes significant contributions that advance the scientific or clinical basis for understanding or treating obesity. As a recipient of the award, Dr. Finegood will present a George Bray Founder's Award Lecture titled, "Is there a fluoride solution to the epidemic of obesity?" As the inaugural Scientific Director of CIHR's INMD, Dr. Finegood led the way to identifying obesity and healthy body weight research as the sole strategic priority of INMD. During the past five years, the community of researchers tackling this complex problem has been enhanced and vitalized through distribution of approximately $20 million to more than 60 different researchers and research groups. Dr. Finegood is also a Professor in the School of Kinesiology at British Columbia's Simon Fraser University, and focuses her research on the pathogenesis of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Dr. Finegood has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has mentored more than 50 of Canada's future health researchers.
Co-recipient of the award will be Dr. William Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Dietz is a previous member of the INMD Advisory Board, having served in this capacity from 2001-2003.
Both Dr. Finegood and Dr. Dietz will speak at an Awards Session at 8 a.m. Monday October 17. The ceremonies will be attended by scientists, physicians, dieticians and health care professionals.
NAASO is an interdisciplinary society, which was formed in 1982 for the purpose of encouraging research on the causes and treatments of obesity, and informing the medical community and the public about new developments in the field. Registration is still open for the conference, and more information can be obtained at http://naaso.org/annualmeeting05/2005_annual_meeting.asp.
