Honouring excellence in health leadership in Canada: the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame announces the 2019 inductees

LONDON, ON, Oct. 11, 2018  /CNW/ - Dr. Bryce Taylor, Chair of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF), announced today that the following have been selected for induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame:

The late Dr. G. Brock Chisholm, CC CBE MC & Bar ED (Toronto, ON):  A decorated soldier and Canadian Major-General, psychiatrist and world health pioneer instrumental in the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Naranjan S. Dhalla, CM OM PhD FRSC (Winnipeg, MB): Internationally recognized builder of basic cardiovascular science in Canada whose commitment to ensuring the benefits of scientific knowledge are shared worldwide, strengthening the global community. 

James A. Dosman, OC SOM MA MD FRCPC FRSC FCAHS (Saskatoon, SK): The 'father of agricultural medicine' in Canada devoted to improving and protecting the health of agricultural workers in Canada and the world.

Jacalyn Duffin, MD PhD FRCPC FRSC FCAHS (Kingston, ON): A haematologist and historian, her enduring contributions to medical research and education deepen our understanding of how the humanities inform balanced, effective medical training.

Connie J. Eaves, PhD FRS (Canada), FRS (Edinburgh) (Vancouver, BC): A world authority on stem cells with translational impact on bone marrow transplantation treatments for leukemia and breast cancer.

Rémi Quirion, OC CQ PhD FRSC (Montreal, QC):  Quebec's first Chief Scientist and one of the world's most frequently cited neuroscientists recognized for his pivotal role in advancing our knowledge in neuroscience and mental health.  

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Laureates are individuals whose contributions to medicine and the health sciences have led to extraordinary improvements in human health. Their work may be a single meritorious contribution or a lifetime of superior accomplishments. Pioneers in their field, they are role models for Canadians and an inspiration to our youth to pursue careers in the health sciences. 

These Canadian and international leaders will be celebrated at a ceremony held in association with McGill University Faculty of Medicine on May 2, 2019 in Montreal, Quebec.

"The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these six individuals whose outstanding contributions to health have made Canada, and the world, a better place," said Dr. Taylor. "Their impact is well documented and they have earned their place alongside our 131 Laureates.

"On behalf of McGill University, our very warm congratulations to this year's laureates, who are richly deserving of this recognition," said Dr. David Eidelman, Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill. "As host of the 2019 Induction Ceremony, we are proud and delighted to welcome this year's honorees and other members of Canada's medical community to Montréal, Quebec, where we may pay homage to the tremendous impact these six individuals have had on human health."

ABBREVIATED BIOS BELOW (lengthier versions available from the CMHF). PHOTOS AVAILABLE AT http://cdnmedhall.org/induction-ceremony

ABOUT THE CANADIAN MEDICAL HALL OF FAME 
The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) celebrates Canadian heroes whose work advances heath in Canada and the world, and fosters future generations of health professionals through the delivery of local and national youth education programs, scholarships and awards. This enduring tribute to our country's rich medical history is showcased on our virtual hall at www.cdnmedhall.org and in an exhibit hall in downtown London, ON.

ABOUT MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, McGill is a leading Canadian post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 10 faculties, 12 professional schools, 300 programs of study and almost 41,000 students, including more than 9,700 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% per cent of the student body. Over half of McGill students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue. Find out more at www.mcgill.ca.

ABBREVIATED BIOS
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Canadian Major General Dr. G. Brock Chisholm was instrumental in the creation of the World Health Organization (WHO). Serving as its first Director General from 1948 until 1953, he effectively became "Doctor to the World," with a practice embracing 3 billion people, helping build the cooperative international institutions that sustain the world today. Dr. Chisholm enlisted as a soldier in 1915 later earning his MD from the University of Toronto in 1924. He interned in England specializing in psychiatry, and after continuing his studies at Yale, established Toronto's first private psychiatric practice in the height of the Depression accepting 'payment in kind' from patients who could not pay in cash. During the Second World War, Dr. Chisholm served as Director General of Medical Services, the Canadian Army's highest ranking medical position. In 1946, he defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." This enlightened summary is now enshrined in the WHO's constitution.         

Dr. Naranjan S. Dhalla, Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba, is a founding leader of two worldwide organizations of cardiovascular science: the International Society of Heart Research (ISHR) devoted to basic cardiovascular science research, and the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (IACS) promoting cardiovascular health education and community involvement. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Dr. Dhalla has individually advanced the knowledge and resources of cardiovascular science.  He served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, was Director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Science at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg for 19 years, edited/authored more than 50 books, trained more than 150 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and presented at more than 500 conferences worldwide.  In 2001, Dr. Dhalla was instrumental in bringing more than 2000 professionals to Winnipeg for a meeting of the World Heart Congress, helping to establish Canada as a centre of cardiovascular science and research. The internationalization work promoted by Dr. Dhalla helps to ensure that the benefits of scientific knowledge will be shared worldwide, strengthening the global community. 

Dr. James A. Dosman, considered the father of agricultural medicine in Canada, is the founding director of the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada's only diversified centre for research, teaching, prevention and service related to agriculture and rural life. He has devoted his long career to improving and protecting the health of agricultural workers. Born in rural Saskatchewan, Dr. Dosman grew up with firsthand experience of the challenges of farming and the demands of rural work.  As a physician and specialist in respiratory medicine, he early encountered the effects of dust exposure among grain workers which led to the establishment of a nationwide database supporting research and training. Dr. Dosman led the International Labour Organization's effort to design an international code, Safety and Health in Agriculture (Geneva: ILO, 2011), bringing health care standards to millions of farmers and agricultural workers worldwide. He is currently President and CEO of Agrivita Canada Inc., a non-profit company he helped form, promoting research, public health and safety in agriculture through the Canadian AgriSafety Applied Research Program. 

Dr. Jacalyn Duffin, Hannah Professor of the History of Medicine at Queen's University (1988-2017), has made enduring contributions to medical research and education that deepen our historical understanding and cause us to reflect on the origins of present-day health care.  A haematologist and historian, Dr. Duffin has assured that thousands of physicians and nurses appreciate the broader cultural and social contexts of their professions arguing that the humanities, notably history, form part of balanced, effective training.  Dr. Duffin's research has addressed a wide array of topics, sources, places, and time periods: diagnostic technology, rural practice, drug development, disease concepts, health policy, and religious healing, including an exploration of medical miracles in the Vatican archives. Her classic textbook, History of Medicine: A Scandalously Short Introduction is read by students and lay audiences throughout the world. It presents encapsulated histories of medical specialties, featuring the cultural and social factors involved in their development. Over a long and distinguished career, Dr. Duffin's passionate devotion to historical understanding as an inseparable element of humane practice inspires students, educators, and members of the general public alike. 

Dr. Connie J. Eaves is a world authority on stem cells of the blood-forming system and their regulation in normal and perturbed states. Spanning four decades, Dr. Eaves' work has advanced curative therapies for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and identified "quiescent" CML stem cells, the first recognition of this cellular state as a hallmark of many types of chemo-resistant cancer stem cells. The full import of this discovery has yet to be fully realized with continuing implications for ongoing cancer research. Dr. Eaves has also pioneered robust methods for quantifying primitive hematopoietic and mammary cells from both mice and humans that have become 'gold standards' and the basis of standardized reagents with significant commercial applications. Dr. Eaves has served as President of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, Associate Scientific Director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network and President of the International Society of Experimental Hematology. She has published more than 500 papers, mentored more than 100 post-graduate trainees and received numerous national and international awards and honours.  She is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Experimental Hematology.

Distinguished neuroscientist Rémi Quirion was named Quebec's first Chief Scientist by the government of Quebec in 2011. Dr. Quirion began his career with a PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Sherbrooke. He then pursued postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD before moving to McGill. Under Dr. Quirion's leadership, the Douglas Hospital Research Centre (DHRC) earned international recognition for research on Alzheimer's disease and neuropeptide physiology as it relates to mental disorders.  His work at DHRC helped to elucidate the roles of the cholinergic system in Alzheimer's disease, the neuropeptide Y in depression and memory, and the calcitonin gene–related peptide (CGRP) in pain and opiate tolerance. With over 750 publications, Dr. Quirion is one of the world's most frequently cited neuroscientists. As Chief Scientist, Dr. Quirion chairs the boards of the three Quebec Research Funds and advises the Minister of Economic, Science and Innovation on research and scientific development issues. He is the representative of scientific research to the public of Quebec, and of Quebec to the world.

SOURCE Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

MEDIA CONTACT: Lissa Foster, Executive Director, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, office: 519.488.2003, x6110 / cell: 519.636.0660 / [email protected]