> SFU alumnus honours mentor with endowment
SFU alumnus honours mentor with endowment
Contact:
Terrance Snutch, 604.822.6968, snutch@msl.ubc.ca
David Baillie, 778.782.6590, baillie@sfu.ca
Erica Branda, SFU Advancement, 778.782.3353, ebranda@sfu.ca
Terrance Snutch, 604.822.6968, snutch@msl.ubc.ca
David Baillie, 778.782.6590, baillie@sfu.ca
Erica Branda, SFU Advancement, 778.782.3353, ebranda@sfu.ca
January 11, 2008
SFU alumnus Terrance Snutch, founder of Neuromed Pharmaceuticals, and his wife, Dr. Mary Gilbert, are donating $50,000 to SFU to honour Snutch’s PhD supervisor, SFU scientist David Baillie, for his outstanding contributions to graduate student training.
SFU is matching the donation to establish a $100,000 endowment that will support The David L. Baillie Graduate Fellowships in Molecular and Cellular Biology - awards that will provide financial support for students pursuing PhD degrees in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at SFU.
“We want to recognize Professor David Baillie's unparalleled contributions to graduate training in the field of molecular and cellular genetics,” says Snutch.
Snutch adds that Baillie has trained an entire generation of Canadian scientists who have gone on to make numerous and significant contributions across a wide range of the basic and biomedical sciences.
“We felt that there would be no more appropriate recognition of Dr. Baillie's combination of talent, scientific brilliance and enthusiasm for graduate training than to found a graduate fellowship program in his honour."
Baillie says the announcement came as a great surprise, but adds: “This type of award makes it possible for SFU to attract excellent graduate students who will enrich our university and scientific community. We are fortunate indeed to receive endowments of this sort."
SFU is matching the donation to establish a $100,000 endowment that will support The David L. Baillie Graduate Fellowships in Molecular and Cellular Biology - awards that will provide financial support for students pursuing PhD degrees in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at SFU.
“We want to recognize Professor David Baillie's unparalleled contributions to graduate training in the field of molecular and cellular genetics,” says Snutch.
Snutch adds that Baillie has trained an entire generation of Canadian scientists who have gone on to make numerous and significant contributions across a wide range of the basic and biomedical sciences.
“We felt that there would be no more appropriate recognition of Dr. Baillie's combination of talent, scientific brilliance and enthusiasm for graduate training than to found a graduate fellowship program in his honour."
Baillie says the announcement came as a great surprise, but adds: “This type of award makes it possible for SFU to attract excellent graduate students who will enrich our university and scientific community. We are fortunate indeed to receive endowments of this sort."
Backgounder
Dr. Terrance Snutch obtained his B.Sc (1979) and Ph.D. (1984) from Simon Fraser University. He is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia and holds additional appointments in the Departments of Zoology and Psychiatry.
Professor Snutch is also the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Neuromed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Vancouver-based biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for chronic pain, epilepsy and cardiovascular diseases.
To date, the company has raised $126 million (U.S.) and employs approximately 90 people in Vancouver and Philadelphia. In early 2006, Neuromed licensed one of the drugs that Snutch designed to Merck & Co. in the largest pharmaceutical licensing deal in Canadian history.
Dr. Mary Gilbert obtained her PhD from the University of British Columbia working with Professor Donald Moerman, who himself received his doctoral training from Baillie.
Dr. Gilbert is a senior research associate in the Department of Zoology at UBC and is studying molecular and genetic aspects of nervous system development.
Dr. David Baillie holds the Canada Research Chair Tier I in Genomics in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) at SFU, which he was awarded in recognition of his pioneering role in developing the emerging field of genomics.
However, one of Baillie’s most important contributions is his remarkable track record in identifying both undergraduate and graduate students possessing a talent for research, and providing them with an outstanding education in graduate training commensurate with producing some of today’s leading scientists.
In addition to Snutch, Baillie has trained internationally renowned Marco Marra, Director of the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, who led the team of scientists that decoded the SARS coronavirus genome in 2003, and Steven Jones, the centre’s founding Head of Bioinformatics.
Dr. Terrance Snutch obtained his B.Sc (1979) and Ph.D. (1984) from Simon Fraser University. He is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia and holds additional appointments in the Departments of Zoology and Psychiatry.
Professor Snutch is also the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Neuromed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Vancouver-based biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for chronic pain, epilepsy and cardiovascular diseases.
To date, the company has raised $126 million (U.S.) and employs approximately 90 people in Vancouver and Philadelphia. In early 2006, Neuromed licensed one of the drugs that Snutch designed to Merck & Co. in the largest pharmaceutical licensing deal in Canadian history.
Dr. Mary Gilbert obtained her PhD from the University of British Columbia working with Professor Donald Moerman, who himself received his doctoral training from Baillie.
Dr. Gilbert is a senior research associate in the Department of Zoology at UBC and is studying molecular and genetic aspects of nervous system development.
Dr. David Baillie holds the Canada Research Chair Tier I in Genomics in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) at SFU, which he was awarded in recognition of his pioneering role in developing the emerging field of genomics.
However, one of Baillie’s most important contributions is his remarkable track record in identifying both undergraduate and graduate students possessing a talent for research, and providing them with an outstanding education in graduate training commensurate with producing some of today’s leading scientists.
In addition to Snutch, Baillie has trained internationally renowned Marco Marra, Director of the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, who led the team of scientists that decoded the SARS coronavirus genome in 2003, and Steven Jones, the centre’s founding Head of Bioinformatics.