The 2003 International Gairdner Awards

Celebrating excellence in medical research

During the week of October 20-24, 2003, a national symposium entitled Minds That Matter will feature the distinguished winners of the Gairdner Foundation International Awards, one of the most prestigious honours for scientific discovery.

The Vancouver symposium will feature two internationally renowned scientists:

Dr. Sydney Brenner, Nobel Laureate 2002. Professor, The Salk Institute, San Diego, CA

Lecture: From Genes to Organisms

A two-time Gairdner Award recipient (in 1978 and 1991) Dr. Brenner has made landmark contributions to molecular biology including how genetic information is read and translated. Dr. Brenner is renowned for his work in the 1960s, establishing the existence of messenger RNA, which transmits information from DNA to proteins. More recently, he spearheaded research on C. elegans and has been part of a team studying vertebrate genome evolution using the Japanese puffer fish.

Dr. Linda Buck, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Fred Hutchinson

Cancer Research Centre, Seattle, Washington.

Lecture: Mechanisms Underlying the Sense of Smell

Dr. Buck is exploring the mechanisms underlying smell, taste, and pheromone sensing in mammals. Dr. Buck received the 2003 Gairdner Award for the discovery of olfactory receptors and the clarification of how these receptors transfer olfactory signals to the brain to generate diverse odour perceptions.

Symposium Details

Monday, October 20, 2003 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Hebb Theatre at the University of British Columbia

2045 East Mall, Vancouver, BC  

The symposium is free.

No RSVP required, however seating is on a first-come basis.

Since 1959, Gairdner Awards have been presented to 264 scientists, 59 of whom have gone on to receive a Nobel Prize. 

The event is hosted by: BC Cancer Agency, Genome BC, Brain Research Centre at UBC, and UBC.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Smith at 604.877.6000, extension 2524 or rsmith@bccancer.bc.ca