December 17, 1997
Dr. John Dick wins MRC's Michael Smith Award
TORONTO - John Dick, senior scientist, Genetics, and professor of Molecular and Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto, has been named the 1997 recipient of the prestigious Michael Smith Award for Excellence.
The annual award was established by the Medical Research Council of Canada (MRC) in honour of Smith, a renowned Canadian scientist who shared the 1993 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The award recognizes outstanding research by a Canadian scientist with no more than twelve years experience as an independent researcher.
Dick is internationally recognized for his innovative work on the developmental biology of normal and leukemic human blood-forming cells found in the bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. His research has led to advances in the purification of human stem cells and to the development of animal models for studying leukemia and genetic diseases. Dick's work has helped researchers gain a better understanding of normal and leukemic blood cell functions which will speed up the development of new treatments for blood diseases.
"Dr. Dick is a dynamic investigator who has made an outstanding contribution towards our understanding of blood cell functions," said MRC president Dr. Henry Friesen, in announcing the award. He anticipates that Dick's contributions both to the understanding of basic disease mechanisms and to the development of new treatment methods, such as gene therapy, will have profound consequences for health care in the future.
The award, consisting of a medal and $50,000 to be used by the awardee to further his or her research program, is presented to the Canadian researcher who has demonstrated innovation, creativity and dedication in the health sciences.
During his career, Dick's research has been funded by the MRC, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network under the federal Network of Centres of Excellence program.
For more information, please contact:
Public Affairs
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Suite 1742, Public Affairs, First floor Atrium
Toronto,
ON
M5G 1X8
Canada
Phone: 416-813-5058
Fax: 416-813-5328