Since 2013, the University of Lethbridge is proud to host a Gairdner Foundation University Lecture. Since 2015, the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute has been assisting with the organization of these events. Each year, a Gairdner Award winner visits the University of Lethbridge to give a public presentation on their research. This is often presented as part of a larger symposium, where our students have a chance to present their work to the awardee. As well, there is a visit to a local school, where the awardee talks about their career in the sciences.
About the Canada Gairdner International Award:
The Canada Gairdner International Award is presented annually by the Canada Gairdner Foundation to international researchers who have made exceptional contributions to biomedical sciences. The Canada Gairdner International Award is exceeded in prestige by only a few international awards, including the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Since 1959, there have been 326 researchers presented with the Canada Gairdner International Award; of these 326 researchers, 83 have gone on to win a Nobel Prize in Medicine or Chemistry. The Canada Gairdner International Award has an international reputation for recognizing outstanding medical breakthroughs, and it is now widely considered to be an indicator of future Nobel Prize-winning research.
The Canada Gairdner Foundation is also a national educational program supported by the Government of Canada, as well as the Government of Alberta. In 2008, the Canadian Government provided the Canada Gairdner Foundation with $20 million to continue the award for future generations. Part of this funding is used to inspire young people to consider medical and scientific careers, and to increase public awareness of the value of scientific research and discovery. To this end, the Canada Gairdner Foundation sends Award winners to more than 20 Canadian university so that they may discuss their research careers with scientists, research trainees, and high school students to foster scientific curiosity.
Below is a selected list of Canada Gairdner International Award winners and a brief description of the research for which they were awarded the prize. Researchers whose names appear in bold have gone on to win a Nobel Prize.
- Francis Crick (1962) – Description of the three-dimensional structure of DNA (http://www.gairdner.org/content/francis-hc-crick)
- Keith Porter (1964) – Using electron microscopy to image the fine structure of cells (http://www.gairdner.org/content/keith-r-porter)
- Robin Coombs (1965) – Developed a test to detect Rh antibodies on red blood cells; critical in the field of blood transfusion (http://www.gairdner.org/content/robin-r-coombs)
- F. Horace Smirk (1965) – Testing of drugs for treatment of high blood pressure (http://www.gairdner.org/content/f-horace-smirk)
- Charles Huggins (1966) – Treatment of cancer with hormonal substances (http://www.gairdner.org/content/charles-huggins)
- Willem J. Kolff (1966) – Early work on artificial kidney (http://www.gairdner.org/content/willem-j-kolff)
- James L. Gowans (1968) – Work in immunology lead to selective suppression of immunologic mechanisms in human organ transplantations (http://www.gairdner.org/content/james-l-gowans)
- George H. Hitchings (1968) – Development of metabolic inhibitors my modification of biologically important compounds. These inhibitors have been important in treating malaria, gout, malignant diseases, immune disorders, human organ transplantation, among other diseases (http://www.gairdner.org/content/george-h-hitchings)
- John P. Merrill (1969) – Pioneer of kidney transplantation (http://www.gairdner.org/content/john-p-merrill)
- Beling H. Scribner (1969) – Development of hemodialysis and “home” dialysis for treatment of kidney disease (http://www.gairdner.org/content/belding-h-scribner)
- Robert B. Merrifield (1970) – Developed a method to artificially synthesize enzymes (http://www.gairdner.org/content/robert-b-merrifield)
- Frederick Sanger, Charles Best, Rosalyn S. Yalow, Solomon A. Berson, Donald F. Steiner, Rachmiel Levine (1971) – Work on insulin and the treatment of diabetes.
- Elwood V. Jensen (1979) – Developed tests to guide treatment of breast cancer (http://www.gairdner.org/content/elwood-v-jensen)
- Frederick Sanger (1979) – Developed a method to sequence DNA (http://www.gairdner.org/content/frederick-sanger-0)
- Donald A. Henderson (1983) – Led the WHO program which eradicated smallpox (http://www.gairdner.org/content/donald-henderson)
- Bruce N. Ames (1983) – Developed a rapid and sensitive method to detect potential carcinogens in our environment (http://www.gairdner.org/content/bruce-n-ames)
- Harold E. Varmus, J. Michael Bishop (1984) – Research on oncogenes, which extend the understanding of the molecular basis of human cancer (http://www.gairdner.org/content/harold-e-varmus)
- Paul C. Lauterbur (1985) – Proposed using MRI for imaging human disease (http://www.gairdner.org/content/paul-c-lauterbur)
- Michael Smith (1986) – Developed technique for site-directed mutagenesis, an important tool in molecular bioscience research (http://www.gairdner.org/content/michael-smith)
- Rene G. Favaloro (1987) – Introduction and development of coronary bypass surgery (http://www.gairdner.org/content/rene-g-favaloro)
- Luc Montagnier (1987) – Identified and isolated the virus causing the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (http://www.gairdner.org/content/luc-montagnier)
- Michael A. Epstein (1988) – Identified the Epstein-Barr virus (http://www.gairdner.org/content/michael-epstein)
- Thomas R. Cech (1988) – Discovered that there are some forms of RNA (which was previously considered to be a message delivery molecule) which have catalytic properties (http://www.gairdner.org/content/thomas-r-cech)
- Bert Sakmann (1989) – Development of the patch-clamp technique (http://www.gairdner.org/content/bert-sakmann)
- Francis S. Collins, John R. Riodan, Lap-chee Tsui (1990) – Identified the gene for cystic fibrosis (http://www.gairdner.org/content/francis-s-collins)
- Edwin M. Southern, Oliver Smithies (1990) – Developed a method to separate and identify nucleic acids; continues to be a common procedure in the molecular biosciences (http://www.gairdner.org/content/edwin-m-southern)
- E. Donnall Thomas (1990) – Developed bone marrow transplantation as a therapy for leukemia (http://www.gairdner.org/content/e-donnall-thomas)
- Kary B. Mullis (1991) – Development of the polymerase chain reaction, a cornerstone technique in the molecular biosciences (http://www.gairdner.org/content/kary-b-mullis)
- Alexander J. Varshavsky, Avram Hershko (1999) – Discovery of ubiquitin system of intracellular protein degradation (http://www.gairdner.org/content/alexander-j-varshavsky)
- J. Craig Venter, Francis S. Collins (2002) – Leadership of the human genome sequencing project (http://www.gairdner.org/content/j-craig-venter)
- James D. Watson (2002) – Outstanding career research, including description of the three-dimensional structure of DNA, and leadership of the human genome sequencing project. (http://www.gairdner.org/content/james-d-watson)
- Seiji Ogawa (2003) – New technique which revolutionized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the study of brain function (http://www.gairdner.org/content/seiji-ogawa)
- Brenda Milner (2005) – Pioneering research in human memory research (http://www.gairdner.org/content/brenda-milner-0)
- Andrew Z. Fire, Craig C. Mello (2005) – Discovered RNA interference and initiated a revolution in the study and use of RNA in gene silencing (http://www.gairdner.org/content/andrew-z-fire)
- Joan A. Steitz (2006) – Describing the role of small nuclear RNAs in messenger RNA processing (http://www.gairdner.org/content/joan-steitz)
- Harry F. Noller, Thomas A. Steitz (2007) – Broad reaching ribosome research (http://www.gairdner.org/content/thomas-steitz)
- Victor Ambros, Gary Ruvkun (2008) – Discovery and characterization of micro RNAs (http://www.gairdner.org/content/victor-ambros)
- Harald Zur Hausen (2008) – Discovery that papilloma viruses cause cancer of the cervix, which eventually led to the HPV vaccine (http://www.gairdner.org/content/harald-zur-hausen)
- Adrian Peter Bird, Howard Cedar, Aharon Razin (2011) – For discoveries in DNA methylation and the role of epigenetics in gene expression (http://www.gairdner.org/content/adrian-peter-bird)
- Lynne E. Maquat (2015) – Discovery of the mechanism that destroys mutant messenger RNAs in human cells, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, which is critically important in both normal and disease states (http://www.gairdner.org/content/lynne-e-maquat)
- Yoshinori Ohsumi (2015) – For pioneering the molecular elucidation of autophagy, an essential intracellular, degradation system and when disordered, is linked to many diseases including neurodegeneration, cancer, and infection (http://www.gairdner.org/content/yoshinori-ohsumi)