Vancouver-based medical hero inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

LONDON, ON, April 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Dr. Max Cynader, Vancouver-based world renowned neuroscientist, was recognized as a Canadian medical hero with induction into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame at a gathering of more than 575 Canadian health care and business leaders in Kingston, Ontario.

Annually The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame elevates a select few of our country's most brilliant health care professionals to laureate status. Laureates are those who have pushed the boundaries of discovery and innovation beyond the realm of possibility to make the world a better place.

One of six inductees, Dr. Cynader joined the ranks of 101 Laureates before him in receiving this prestigious national honour. Nominated for his passion, innovation and visionary leadership that has improved health worldwide, Dr. Cynader was selected for this honour by a selection panel comprising national health leaders and chaired by Dr. Alain Beaudet of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Honorary Co-Chairs Hon. Hugh Segal and Daniel Woolf, Principal & Vice Chancellor of Queen's University celebrated along with 2014 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Co-Chairs Dr. Richard Reznick, Dean – Faculty of Health Sciences and Dr. Tom Harris, Vice-Principal Advancement, Queen's University.

ABOUT DR.  MAX CYNADER
Dr. Cynader is a world renowned neuroscientist who has made vital contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms by which early use or misuse of our brain affects its functioning for the rest of our life. He and has shown the extreme importance of the plasticity of the developing brain on processes as diverse as developing stereoscopic binocular vision, learning to speak a new language, learning to read, and developing the capacity for making moral judgments.  This work has been widely cited and much of the recent emphasis on the importance of the first few years of life and early childhood learning in current public policy and in the media is underpinned by the research of Dr. Cynader and his colleagues.

Dr. Cynader was born in Berlin, Germany in 1947 and obtained his B.Sc. at McGill University in 1967 and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972. Following postdoctoral training, Dr. Cynader held positions at Dalhousie University in Halifax and joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) as Professor and Director of the Ophthalmology Research Group in 1988. He was appointed Founding Director of the Brain Research Centre in 1998 and more recently, the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at Vancouver Coastal Health and UBC, which he helped build.

Dr. Cynader has authored more than 200 articles published in scientific journals, has presented more than 350 papers at national and international scientific meetings, and is the holder of several patents. He has made important contributions to technology development and to the commercialization of research results including the development of gene therapy products to treat brain diseases.  Dr. Cynader's work in understanding how sound is processed by the brain was used to develop a new "listening chip" which has found many applications from intelligent hearing aids to advanced dictation systems. In founding and successfully nurturing various companies, Dr. Cynader has contributed to the development of Canada's high tech and biotech communities.

Dr. Cynader is a passionate spokesperson for brain health, often using his unique ability to explain complex concepts in lay terms to capture the interest of local, national and international audiences.

Recognition for his many achievements includes the Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia, Researcher of the Year from Life Sciences BC, Science and Technology Champion award by Innovation BC, Canada Research Chair, Gold Medal in Health Sciences, Killam Research Prize and E.W.R. Steacie Fellowship (1979), among others. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada and The Canadian Academy for Health Sciences and a Principal Investigator in Canada's Network of Excellence in Stroke.

Available Resources

1. Dr. Cynader's full bio and high resolution photo available upon request.
   
2. Laureate bios and information about The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame available anytime at www.cdnmedhall.org.

About The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame 
Established in 1994 and located in London, Ontario, The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is the only national Hall of Fame in the world dedicated to celebrating medical heroes. By creating an enduring tribute to those men and women who through discovery and innovation have contributed to better health in Canada and the world, The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame inspires the pursuit of careers in the health sciences fostering future innovators and leaders.

SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association

Sharon Lomas, Communications and Media Relations, 519.319.0908 / [email protected]