The Gairdner Foundation to Announce 2010 Award Winners April 6

Prestigious Canadian awards honour world's greatest medical discoveries

TORONTO, March 29 /CNW/ - On April 6, The Gairdner Foundation will announce the recipients of the 2010 Canada Gairdner Awards. Seven preeminent scientists from around the world will be honoured for their role in the discovery of significant medical advances. The cash prizes of $100,000 each will be presented at a gala dinner on October 28.

Next to the Nobel Prize, the Canada Gairdner Awards are the most prestigious global medical research awards, and have a track record of identifying significant work early. In the 50 years since the Gairdner awards were first presented, 76 Gairdner winners have gone on to win Nobel prizes, including 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine recipients Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Carol Greider, and 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Dr. Tom Steitz.

Past discoveries of Canada Gairdner Award winners have included the vaccine that eradicated smallpox; the technology that made MRI, CT and PET scans possible; the identification of the structure of DNA; and immunosuppressant drugs that allow organ transplantation.

The Canada Gairdner International Awards recognize individuals from a diversity of fields for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science (five winners).

The Canada Gairdner Global Health Award recognizes someone who has made a scientific advancement in one of four areas: basic science, clinical science, population, or environmental health. The advancement must have made, or have the potential to make, a significant impact on health in the developing world (one winner).

The Canada Gairdner Wightman Award is given to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science (one winner).

    
    What:     A breakfast event for the announcement of the recipients of the
              2010 Canada Gairdner Awards. Two of the 2010 winners will
              discuss their discoveries and the implications for patients.

    Who:      Announcement by Dr. John Dirks, President and Scientific
              Director of the Gairdner Foundation, of seven accomplished
              medical scientists from around the world

    When:     Tuesday, April 6, 2010, 7:30-9:00 a.m.

    Where:    MaRS Centre Auditorium, 101 College Street, Toronto
    

Select 2010 Canada Gairdner Award winners will be available for photos and interviews following the announcement.

The Gairdner Foundation: Making Science Matter

The Canada Gairdner Awards were created in 1959 to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. They are Canada's only globally known and respected international prizes, and the Gairdner Foundation is the only national organization that consistently brings the world's best biomedical researchers to Canada to share their ideas and work with scientists across the country. In so doing, it enlarges networks and enhances Canada's international reputation while providing a realistic and unbiased benchmark for Canada's leading scientists.

For further information: Sarah Bannoff, Edelman, [phone] ext. 318, [email protected]; Cynthia Innes, Edelman, [phone] ext. 343, [email protected]