UBC faculty of medicine community members Drs. Penny Ballem, Jane Buxton and Pieter Cullis have been appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest form of recognition.
They are among fourteen exceptional people receiving the Order in 2023. The honour is bestowed annually in recognition of outstanding provincial, national or international impact.
“This honour is a mark of excellence, reflected in the service and achievements of these incredible British Columbians,” said B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin. “Their accomplishments have left an indelible mark on their communities, and ensuing legacies will impact our province to the benefit of future generations.”
Dr. Penny Ballem is a clinical professor of medicine at UBC, fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and chair of the board of Vancouver Coastal Health. She has a long history of health leadership, including spearheading work to improve screening procedures for HIV and other blood-transmitted diseases in the Canadian blood-transfusion system, and more recently, as the leader of B.C.’s COVID-19 vaccination program.
Dr. Jane Buxton is a professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health who has championed a harm-reduction approach to substance use and mentored a generation of public-health trainees. As the medical lead for harm reduction at the BC Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Buxton helped establish the province’s system for distributing millions of safer substance-use supplies in order to decrease the risk of infectious disease and other harms for people who use drugs, and to engage people who use drugs in the health-care system.
Dr. Pieter Cullis, OC, is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UBC. He is best known for his breakthrough research on lipid nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems that is being used for cancer therapies, gene therapies and vaccines. This work has contributed to five regulatory-approved drugs, including the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, Comirnaty. Dr. Cullis has co-founded more than 10 biotechnology companies and three not-for-profit organizations, and has authored more than 400 research articles and holds more than 100 patents.
“While they are not officially part of the Marvel Universe, these 14 remarkable individuals are superheroes. They have contributed in unique and profound ways to our province, our nation and beyond, through leadership, selflessness and generosity,” said B.C. Premier David Eby. “Congratulations to all on their appointment to the Order of British Columbia.”
This year, 224 British Columbians were nominated. The new additions bring the total membership of the Order to 503. Members have been appointed from all parts of the province.
The Order of B.C. investiture ceremony for 2023 recipients and invited guests will take place at Government House in Victoria in the late fall.
Read the full news release on the Government of B.C. website.