Professor of Urologic Sciences. Leader in prostate cancer research and treatment. Hockey fan.
Larry Goldenberg, a Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences and former Head of that Department, is also the former and founding Director of the Vancouver Prostate Centre, the creator of the Men’s Health Initiative of B.C. and the founder and chairman of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. He is a member of both the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia.
Over the past 150 years, what do you think is the most important Canadian discovery, contribution or achievement in health research?
It’s hard to argue with the discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting and Charles Best. In my field, it was a Canadian from Halifax but working in Chicago, Charles Huggins, who first recognized the relationship between testosterone and prostate cancer – a discovery that earned him the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
Looking towards the future, what new health discovery, treatment or innovation will come from Canada?
We are very strong in biomaterials, engineering, nanotechnology and robotics. I predict the development of injectable nanobots that will be programmed to seek and destroy cancer cells wherever they may be in the body.
What is your favourite Canadian pastime?
Hockey – nothing even comes close!