An award-winning biochemist shared his insights with an audience at the University of Waterloo.
An award-winning biochemist whose discovery solved a 100-year-old mystery in cell biology shared his insights to an audience at the University of Waterloo today as part of the Gairdner Foundation’s National Program lecture series.
Professor Kim Nasmyth of the University of Oxford shared his first–hand knowledge and expertise in biomedical research. He won the 2007 Canada Gairdner International Award for his discovery of cohesin, helping us understand cell division and how errors in this process relate to cancer and other genetic diseases.
“We are delighted to welcome Professor Nasmyth, who has made numerous contributions to science through his innovative research in chromosome segregation,” said Professor Terry McMahon, dean of the Faculty of Science at Waterloo. “His talk will inspire and encourage students to consider a career in science and research.”
The prestigious awards are given for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Many recipients have later won Nobel prizes for their work.
“Gairdner’s National Program allows students from universities across Canada access to some of the world’s greatest medical scientists,” said Dr. John Dirks, president and scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation. “Along with the Canada Gairdner Awards, the National Program is part of Gairdner's efforts to promote a stronger culture of research and innovation across the country, inspiring the next generation of Canadian scientists.”
Each year, Canada Gairdner Award recipients give lectures and meet with more than 6,000 students at 21 universities, making the superstars of science accessible and inspiring the next generation of researchers.
In just half a century, the University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's technology hub, has become one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities with 35,000 full- and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Waterloo, as home to the world's largest post-secondary co-operative education program, embraces its connections to the world and encourages enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. In the next decade, the university is committed to building a better future for Canada and the world by championing innovation and collaboration to create solutions relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
The Canada Gairdner Awards were created in 1959 to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. They are Canada's only globally known and respected international science awards, and Gairdner is the only national organization that consistently brings the world's best biomedical researchers to Canada to share their ideas and work with scientists across the country. In so doing, it enlarges networks and enhances Canada's international reputation, while providing a realistic and unbiased benchmark for Canada's leading scientists.
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Pamela Smyth
University of Waterloo
519-888-4777
psmyth@uwaterloo.ca
www.uwaterloo.ca/news
