Brett Finlay, a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and John Webb, a Clinical Professor in the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, are recipients of the 2017 Faculty of Medicine Distinguished Researcher Awards.
The awards will be bestowed at Building the Future: Faculty of Medicine Research Trainee Day & Lecture Series on Friday, February 16, 2018 at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. This event is open to all faculty members, trainees, and staff.
John Webb
Dr. John Webb is a founder in the area of heart valve intervention, and has in many respects defined the innovation and the clinical platforms practiced today. His first transcatheter heart valve procedure 10 years ago has led to an exponential growth, with over 10,000 procedures being performed annually around the world. Dr. Webb has led a team that has helped to establish the emerging use of this technology and its application to valvular heart disease. He has authored over 460 peer-reviewed publications, is co-editor of the textbook Structural Heart Disease Intervention (Lippincott 2011) and is a reviewer for 21 different journals and agencies. Dr. Webb is a leader in cardiovascular research and heart valve innovation and development, as attested to by his many awards to date. Some of his most recent awards have included the UBC Martin M. Hoffman Award for Excellence in Research (2011), a Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) from Simon Fraser University (2014), a SCAI Founder’s Award (2014), a Killam Research Prize in Science (2014), an Innovation and Achievement Award from Lifesciences British Columbia (2014), the Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology Outstanding Achievement Award (2014), the Wallace Wilson Leadership Award (2015), and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions Ethica Award (2016).
Dr. Webb will present a lecture on “Transcatheter Valves and Valve Repair: New Standards” from 4:45 – 5:30 pm in the Chan Centre for Family Health Education Auditorium.
Brett Finlay
Dr. Brett Finlay has advanced our understanding of the role that microbes play in human health and disease, uncovering their function in asthma, malnutrition and enteric diseases, with implications for prevention, treatment and cure. His research has led to a number of human and animal vaccines, as well as treatments for drug-resistant infections. He has authored over 500 peer-reviewed publications and almost 350 invited presentations both nationally and internationally. Dr. Finlay has served on the editorial board of dozens of journals and committees, and has been an active reviewer of his colleagues’ work in various forms. As a leader in the field of cellular microbiology, Dr. Finlay’s research and service has been recognized with numerous awards. Most recently, he has been awarded the Order of BC (2007), the Canadian Society of Microbiologists Roche Diagnostic Award (2009), the Bioniche Life Sciences Award of Excellence (2011), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), the Carnegie Fellowship for Tenure (2012), and the Prix Galien (2014). Dr. Finlay has also been actively engaged in improving public knowledge of the impact of research, including giving hundreds of interviews, dozens of public talks, and with the publication of his recent best-selling book Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving your Child from an Oversanitized World.
Dr. Finlay will present a lecture on “The Role of the Microbiome in Health and Disease” from 10:00 – 10:45 am in the Chan Centre for Family Health Education Auditorium.
Candidates for these awards are nominated by fellow faculty members in the basic or clinical sciences on the basis of a distinguished research career, recognition in the medical community and effective contributions to student educational growth over the past year. Nominees are selected by the Faculty of Medicine Research Council.
Please register for Building the Future: Faculty of Medicine Research Trainee Day & Lecture Series by Friday, February 7.