Obituary

      Dr. Glen Tibbits, of Port Moody, BC, passed away at age 76 on November 10, 2025, after a courageous three-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He had a keen wit, wonderfully generous spirit, brilliant mind, and deep passion for science. Glen was a Distinguished Professor at Simon Fraser University, holding joint appointments in Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, and in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. He was an Affiliate Professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Biomedical Engineering and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences. Glen also spearheaded the development of, and was Co-Director of, the state-of-the-art Cellular and Regenerative Medicine Centre at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Vancouver. He is survived by his wife Kiyoko Tibbits, son Skye Tibbits, extended family member Haruyo Kashihara, and brother John Tibbits.  

      Glen was born and raised in Montreal. In high school he excelled both in academics and varsity athletics, participating in ice hockey, football, track and field, and tennis. Glen graduated from McGill University and completed MSc and PhD degrees at UCLA’s Brain Research Institute. Supported with an American Heart Association Post-Doctoral Fellowship, he studied cardiac pharmacology in Niigata, Japan, and then cardiac biophysics at the UCLA School of Medicine. While in Japan, Glen met and dated Kiyoko, and in March of 1980 they were wed in a traditional Japanese marriage ceremony.    

      Glen subsequently held faculty positions at UCLA and the University of Washington. In 1985 he joined the faculty at Simon Fraser University, was appointed as full Professor in 1992, served as Chair of the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology for five years, and was awarded a Canada Research Chair in Molecular Cardiac Physiology from 2004-2018. In his research, Glen embraced and helped pioneer transformative techniques to understand the genetic basis of inherited cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiac diseases. These technologies included converting various bodily cells into stem cells; genome editing of these cells to replicate genetic variants that caused disease; and converting stem cells into beating heart cells. His leadership led to major advances by his research team and other scientists in developing better diagnoses and treatments for patients with genetic variants that cause life-threatening cardiac disease.

    Glen was well known not only for his outstanding teaching, mentorship, and research, but also for his fun-loving nature. He had a sharp sense of humour, enjoyed playing and being the butt of practical jokes, delighted in traveling to off-beat places, and annually hosted a huge, festive salmon barbeque cook-off at his home, attended by his students, postdocs, colleagues, and friends. Time spent with Glen was special and we dearly miss him.  

    A ceremony celebrating Glen’s life will be held on January 24, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Leslie & Gordon Diamond Family Auditorium, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University High St, Burnaby, BC V5A 4Y8.  The ceremony will also be live-streamed for those who wish to attend but cannot do so in person. If you plan to attend either in person or remotely, please RSVP at the Celebration of Life for Dr. Glen Tibbits website, which also contains more details about attending the celebration. 

    In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to the Glen Tibbits Memorial Fund, which is an endowment fund being created at Simon Fraser University to honor Glen's passion for mentoring graduate students. The family also would like to thank the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society of British Columbia, which provided Glen and his family with invaluable support and guidance.