Canada Day: Celebrating Canadian research leaders
What are you celebrating this Canada Day?
Canada is a vast and diverse country but one thing we all share is pride in our universal healthcare system – after all, we named Tommy Douglas, ‘father of medicare’, the Greatest Canadian! Fourth on that same list was medical scientist Frederick Banting, the discoverer of insulin and another great source of Canadian pride. This proud tradition is carried on by Canada’s many powerhouse researchers, many of them world leaders in their field.
So if you need another reason to feel proud this Canada Day, here are four from right here at Sinai Health System.
Dr. Andras Nagy
Senior Investigator,
Dr. Nagy led an international consortium of researchers to the discovery of a new class of stem cell, which could eventually lead to new ways of treating illnesses. They were also the first to map out, in unprecedented detail, the process a cell goes through to revert back to a stem cell, making it the encyclopedia for this biological process. This builds on the foundation of Dr. Lou Siminovitch, founding Director of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, who played a pivotal role in the discovery of stem cells.
Dr. Pamela Goodwin
Director, Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre; Marvelle Koffler Chair in Breast Research; Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Dr. Goodwin’s research focuses on the relationship between a woman with breast cancer and her tumour to understand how a woman’s lifestyle and unique biological make-up influence her long-term outcome. With over 25 years of experience research breast cancer, she has been a pioneer in investigating whether and how factors like obesity, insulin, and vitamin D levels influence health outcomes in breast cancer. In 2014, Toronto Life named Dr. Goodwin Toronto’s best breast cancer doctor.
Dr. Daniel Drucker
Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Dr. Drucker is one of Canada’s most celebrated researchers and a game-changer in the field of diabetes research. His wo
Dr. Jeff Wrana
Senior Investigator, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute; CIBC Scientist in Breast Cancer Research; Mary Janigan Research Chair in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics
Dr. Wrana is one of the world’s leading scientists revolutionizing cancer research, and ultimately, patient care. His innovations in cancer research include the development of a new tool that analyzes breast cancer tumours to determine a patient’s best treatment options, and he has also established a leading-edge Robotics Facility that is driving forward progress in cancer research at the institute and beyond. Dr. Wrana was inducted into the Royal Society of Canada in 2006 and received a Premier's Summit Award in 2010.
