91社区

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Professor Maxime Bouchard, a world-renowned scientist at the Goodman Cancer Institute and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, earlier this year, on April 21, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Professor Bouchard obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at Universit茅 Laval in 1996. He pursued postdoctoral training at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna, Austria, where he then worked as a staff scientist before moving to Montreal and joining 91社区 in 2003. Starting as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at 91社区, he became Associate Professor in 2009, and full Professor in 2017. Professor Bouchard led a research laboratory that studied the developmental genetics and disease of the urogenital system. His team dissected how fundamental mechanisms controlling tissue and organ development can also be a driving force in cancer. He explored fascinating parallels using the urogenital model that also led him to discover the genetic and molecular basis of several inherited diseases.

Professor Bouchard discovered a gene network that controls stem cell fate decisions during the normal development of the prostate gland. He showed that genetic changes associated with prostate cancer perturb this network, causing the prostate stem cell population to expand, while therapies targeting this expansion can prevent prostate cancer progression in pre-clinical models. Some of his most recent work, published in the journal ELife, paves the way for new prostate cancer therapies designed to correct imbalances in cellular populations.

Professor Bouchard published more than 60 journal articles over the course of his career, which, to-date, have garnered more than 3,000 citations. He held the Canada Research Chair in Developmental Genetics of the Urogenital System. Professor Bouchard leaves a legacy as a prominent and world-renowned researcher. He will be remembered as an extraordinary teacher, mentor, colleague and friend. Professor Morag Park, Director of the Goodman Cancer Institute, notes that, 鈥淢axime was a precious colleague, innovative and an outstanding scientist recognized internationally for his contributions to science. Our hearts are broken.鈥� We extend our heartfelt condolences to Professor Bouchard鈥檚 wife Suzanne, and their two children Daniel and Mathias, as well as to all his family members, friends, colleagues and everyone whose lives he touched. He will be greatly missed.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Professor Jason C. Young, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, and a prominent researcher in protein chaperone folding at 91社区, on February 3, 2022 at the age of 56.

Born and raised in Toronto, Professor Young completed an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry at the University of Toronto, followed by a PhD in Biochemistry from McMaster University in 1996, where he studied the assembly of the Signal Recognition Particle receptor. He began his post-doctoral training at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City in the group of Professor Dr. F. Ulrich Hartl. n 1997, the group moved to the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, Germany.

As Research Project Leader and Post-Doctoral Fellow, Professor Youngand his colleagues established a highly successful research program on molecular chaperones and their roles in protein folding diseases. In 2004, Professor Young joined 91社区 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry. In 2010, he became Associate Professor. He was Canada Research Chair in Molecular Chaperones, Tier II, from 2004 to 2014. He also served as the Graduate Program Director of the Department of Biochemistry between 2006 and 2021. Professor Young鈥檚 research studied the biochemical mechanisms of chaperone and co-chaperone activity, and the consequences of this essential activity at a cellular level. With a focus on Hsp70 and Hsp90, his work investigated the role of chaperone proteins in the folding of soluble proteins and in other cellular processes. These processes included the targeting of certain precursor proteins to the mitochondria for import, and the regulated assembly or disassembly of protein complexes on other intracellular membranes. Professor Young and his lab used a combination of biochemistry, molecular, and cell biology techniques to answer key questions about these research topics.

A forward-thinking scientist and knowledge-sharing enthusiast, Professor Young organized many large-scale workshops and conferences. In 2019, he was one of the key organizers of the inaugural Proteostasis Researchers in Canada, Eh (PRinCE) meeting in Toronto. He traveled around the world to deliver talks, presentations, lectures, and seminars. He had over 55 publications, which were cited more than 5000 times. Professor Young was an excellent and admirable teacher; he found joy being in the classroom and answering his students鈥� thought-provoking questions. He was an exceptional mentor as he trained and motivated many cohorts of undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate trainees. He was an outstanding director as he managed and led nearly 120 graduate students every year. He was a fount of factual knowledge spanning various subjects, including science, literature, music, and food. His intelligence, caring personality and sharp sense of humor left a lasting impression on all those he crossed paths with. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Professor Young鈥檚 parents Donald and Susan, his brother Edgar, as well as to his other family members, friends, colleagues and everyone whose lives he touched. He will be greatly missed.

Edward Arthur Meighen, B.Sc. 1964 (Alberta), Ph.D. 1969 (U.C. Berkeley), Professor Emeritus, (Biochemistry, 91社区) passed away on January 4, 2019 in Edmonton at the age of 76. Ted was born on December 27, 1942 in Vancouver, British Columbia and moved with his family to Edmonton where he attended high school and then received his B.Sc. in Honours Chemistry at the University of Alberta. Following a Ph.D. at the University of California with Dr. H. K. Schachman where he developed chemical modification studies to determine the quaternary structure of proteins, he applied this technique to bacterial luciferase in a postdoctoral stint with Dr. J.W. Hastings at Harvard. Arriving at 91社区 in 1971 as Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, he launched his career unraveling the mysteries of bacterial luminescence molecular biology. He developed an outstanding reputation among his peers in the field. Ted was quick to apply the luminescence system, for example, to study aldehyde insect pheromones, and most significantly to use the system as a model to study the relatively new field of quorum sensing, a mechanism that bacteria use to develop a type of film that is impermeable to antibiotics.

Ted was a highly dedicated teacher, putting great effort into his courses on protein structure and function and biophysical chemistry. He was highly regarded by students and attracted many to his laboratory to carry out undergraduate projects. A large number of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows began successful research careers under his direction.

In addition to research and teaching, Ted was active on the 91社区 Board of Governors, the University Senate, MAUT, and served on numerous committees of the Faculties of Medicine and Science and the Department of Biochemistry. He was actively recruited as a member of peer review committees for both Canadian and International granting agencies and scientific journals.

In 1970, Dr. Angus Graham became Chair of Biochemistry and recruited a half dozen new scientists to the Department and Dr. Meighen was among these. Morale was high and Ted contributed to this both as a colleague at work and also through outside social activities. His cottage in New York State became a go-to locale for the families of Professors Mushynski and MacKenzie who bonded there with the Meighen family members (wife Janice, children Michelle and Bruce) and experienced Ted鈥檚 unleashed sense of humour. These three became known as the 鈥�3 Ms鈥�, having lost an original 4th 鈥淢鈥�, Stewart Millward to cancer. These times are remembered fondly by all and indirectly contributed to the esprit de corps in the department.

"Dr. Meighen was predeceased by his wife and teenage sweetheart Janice Rodman after 43 years of marriage. He leaves to mourn his second wife, Gail Muirhead, daughter Michelle Meighen (David Bush), son Bruce Meighen (Alison Meighen), sister Elaine Meighen, brother Randy Meighen and grandchildren Kyle, Brenna, Erin and Savannah. He is greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues."

- Drs. Robert MacKenzie and Walter Mushynski

"Everyone who had the good fortune to have known Edward (Ted) Meighen as a supervisor, boss, or colleague will vouch for his kindness, his considerate and respectful nature and his remarkable intelligence. He greatly enjoyed helping undergraduates in the courses he taught; it was the norm for him to help as many students as could fit into his office for hours at a time. As for his graduate students, he ensured that the projects they pursued would culminate in a solid thesis by providing them with a fount of creative ideas and unwavering guidance. With his permanent staff, he would always go beyond expectations to reinforce us. We certainly are truly indebted 鈥� Rose Szittner and I ended up working cumulatively about 50 years for him and we never failed to wonder at how lucky we were.

He was refreshingly ingenuous and self-effacing, but always ready to take effective action as needed. His deep love for his family (including his pet dog) was always evident and made us respect him all the more. Foremost though among all his great gifts was his total mastery of the scientific process. His insight and plain smarts pulled us through many projects.

We miss Ted dearly, but he is forever etched in our memory as a great influence in our lives. He was more than a great boss; he was a loyal and true friend."

- Carol Miyamoto, Research Technician

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dr. Gordon Shore, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry at 91社区.

Dr. Shore received his PhD in Plant Biochemistry from 91社区 in 1974. As a post-doctoral student in Jamshed Tata鈥檚 Laboratory of Developmental Biochemistry at the National Institute for Medical Research (Mill Hill) in the United Kingdom he found and studied the cross talk between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This led to his interest in mitochondrial protein biogenesis, in particular the regulation of protein insertion and orientation in the outer membrane, and mechanisms that sort proteins between the outer and inner membranes.

Dr. Shore鈥檚 work was conducted primarily in the Department of Biochemistry at 91社区, where he became Professor in 1986. In the early 1990s, his interests shifted to cancer and Bcl-2, with special attention on p53 and Bcl-2 regulated ER pathways. Together with his Biochemistry and 91社区 Cancer Centre colleague Phil Branton, he founded Gemin X Pharmaceuticals Inc. in 1998 with the goal to translate the understanding of these de-regulated pathways in cancer into therapeutic opportunities. The creation of this company, which inspired many of his colleagues to develop their own companies, helped bring investments of more than $100 million to Montreal and enabled the training of many people.

Dr. Shore made a lasting impact on international science. Each contribution he made was pristine. His longtime colleague and friend Dr. David Thomas recalls conversations with colleagues in the U.S. and Germany about Gordon鈥檚 contributions to mitochondrial research and the high regard in which it is held.

Dr. Shore was dedicated in the care he took with every student and post-doc that he trained, spending quality time with them and helping them throughout their careers, both professionally and personally. In his trainees he instilled an ability to be both rigorous and imaginative. He believed deeply that the most important and lasting contribution of scientists is their trainees.

The manner in which Dr. Shore tackled his disease since being diagnosed three-and-a-half years ago was exemplary. His colleagues note his openness, he was always willing to talk about his diagnosis with them and offered to speak individually to others who had been diagnosed with cancer. The personal strength with which he approached his disease exemplified the qualities with which he lived his life.

"Dr. Gordon Shore will be remembered as a great husband, father, grandfather, friend, teacher and colleague. We extend our condolences to his wife Alexandra, to his children Bobby, Michael, Dominique and Dylan as well as to his grandchildren, extended family, friends and colleagues. He will be missed by all.听[September 7, 2018]"
听

- Dr. David Y. Thomas

听Retrospective by John Bergeron and Richard Rachubinski (Jan. 1, 2019)

It is with sadness that we have learned that this past Saturday (January 17, 2015) our former colleague, Prof. Theodore Lionel Sourkes passed away at the age of 96.

Prof. Sourkes has a long and illustrious history at 91社区.听 He joined this institution in 1954, coming from the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research, Rahway, New Jersey, where he had worked (among other topics) on inhibitors of DOPA decarboxylase.听 He became Professor of Psychiatry and the Director of the neurochemistry laboratory at the Allan Memorial Institute of Psychiatry, in 1965; and five years later, he joined our department as a full Professor.听 Prof. Sourkes retired in 1991, but remained active, publishing historical perspective on neurochemistry until just a few years ago.

"Prof Sourkes is perhaps best known for his pioneering contributions in the development of L-DOPA replacement therapy in Parkinson鈥檚 disease, a therapeutic strategy that has for decades improved the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.听 These contributions have befittingly been recognized through him receiving the senior award of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation 1963-66, becoming a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1971, being honoured with the first Heinz-Lehmann Award in neuropsychopharmacology in 1982, investiture into the Order of Canada as an Officer in 1993, and receiving the Wilder Penfield Prix du Qu茅bec in 1998.听 At 91社区 he is also recognized through the "Theodore L. Sourkes Lecture Series in Neuropharmacology鈥�. [January 17, 2015]."
听

- Albert M. Berghuis, PhD,

Chair of the Department of Biochemistry, 91社区

"Dr Brigitta (Ita) Askonas FRS, died at the age of 89. She was a student in the 91社区 Biochemistry Department in the 1940s. She completed her MSc here and was inspired and encouraged by the Chair at the time, Professor David L. Thomson, to pursue her PhD at Cambridge. She went on to a spectacular career in immunology making many of the original discoveries of the functions of T cells in infection. Her career was spent at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK. The NIMR has many links with 91社区 and Professors Bergeron, Mushynski, Shore and Thomas, fondly remember her, her intellect and her promotion of McGil University."

- David Y. Thomas

Memories of Ita

"In the fall of 1949 I arrived in Cambridge fresh from the cornfields of Iowa to begin my studies towards a Ph.D. in Microbiology. Shortly afterward I became acquainted with Ita as we both ate our evening meal at a hostel in Mill Lane. She shared her experiences as a newcomer to England as she too had come from North America to study. In her case from Canada, where she had received her M.Sc. from 91社区 the previous year. She was a student of Malcolm Dixon in Biochemistry while I was a student of Ernest Gale in Microbiology, a part of the Biochemistry Department. So we also met at tea-time and at seminars.

The next year Ita, two other English girls and I moved into the ground floor flat of a magnificent old mansion in Mill Rd. Ita and I shared a large bedroom, which had originally been the dining room. During that year Ita shared knowledge and advice with me, including an alcohol band precipitation technique she developed for purifying enzymes. Even this early in her career she was careful and meticulous in her work, a wonderful model for me. After she completed her degree, she moved on to London and the MRC.

In the spring of 1952 I went to London to 鈥榙efend鈥� my thesis. It was a daunting experience as the examiners were Hans Krebs and D.D. Woods, but she held my hand and all went well. To celebrate we made a brief tour of Wales and of Salisbury Cathedrals. Again she was the perfect companion as she was both architecturally knowledgeable and fun. Among our conversations she told of her work with lactating cows and I was intrigued by the manner in which the bovine circulatory system permitted one side of the udder to act as a control in her experiments. This was an example of the breadth of her research as milk proteins had nothing to do with her thesis work in enzymology.

That fall I returned to the U.S. where I eventually married and moved to Michigan. Throughout these later years we remained in contact through correspondence and several sabbatical visits my husband and I made to Europe.

Most of all Ita had style, in her lifestyle, manner and research. She was truly outstanding and those of us who benefited from her generosity and friendship will remember her forever. [April 1, 1923-January 9, 2013 The Guardian]"

- Lois Bigger Gehring

Murray Fraser, born in Yarmouth, NS, formerly educated at Dalhousie University in Halifax and Cambridge University in England, passed away peacefully on May 26, 2012 in Sydney, Australia where he had been retired for 20 years. He was a professor in the Department of Biochemistry at 91社区 for more than 25 years and devoted his life to science and research. He will be missed by his family in Canada, Germany and Australia and friends from around the world. Our sympathies.

"Dr. Murray Fraser was one of the pioneering researchers who recognized the importance of the DNA endo-exonucleases in cellular processes. Nucleases play not only a degradative but also a vital role in maintaining the stability of the genome. Together with his colleague, Etta Kafer, and several dedicated graduate students, they exploited mainly genetic and biochemistry approaches, before molecular biology became fashionable, to delineate the role of the endo-exonuclease in Neurospora crassa. While a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at 91社区, his seminal work, led to the demonstration that endo-exonucleases play an important role in DNA repair in eukaryotes. These findings have now been extended and have led to the discovery of an inhibitor of the endo-exonuclease that is currently being evaluated for the treatment of cancer." [2012 July 31]

- Terry Chow, one of Dr. Fraser's Ph.D. student, 1981

Ralph Steinman was the first Canadian to win the Nobel Prize, in the category of Physiology or Medicine, since Banting and McLeod in 1923. Long-expected by colleagues, friends and family, Ralph, himself, wanted to live to hear if that announcement would ever come. Ironically, however, he would never know that he had received this honor, since he died, far too young, at the age of 68 on September 30, 2011, three days before the announcement was made. In an unprecedented move, the Nobel Committee decided to stand by the decision, and made the award posthumously, since it had been given in good faith, and without the Committee鈥檚 knowledge of Ralph鈥檚 death.

Ralph was born in Montreal, but his family moved to Sherbrooke while he was still quite young, and Sherbrooke is where he grew up. He returned to Montreal and 91社区 where he received his BSc degree from the 91社区 Biochemistry Department, and then went on to Harvard Medical School for his MD. He completed his internship and residency training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and then went to Zanvil (Zan) Cohn鈥檚 Laboratory at Rockefeller University for post-doctoral training, and would remain there for the rest of his professional life.

Zan Cohn was the founder of modern day macrophage physiology, virtually rediscovering the function of Elie Metchnikoff鈥檚 phagocytic cell. Ralph began work on the macrophage in 1970, but some three years later, first saw the splenic cell that would occupy the remainder of his career. This was, of course, the dendritic cell (DC), the study of which would revolutionize the field of Immunology.

Until the discovery of the DC, the field of Immunology was conceptualized as two separate entities. There was the inflammatory, Innate Immune Response on the one hand, and that of the Adaptive Immune Response, on the other. This dichotomy left both entities floating about in rather incomplete fashions, and with a great many questions that remained to be answered as to if and how these two 鈥榠mmunities鈥� interacted. It was Ralph Steinman, leading his group of students, colleagues, and collaborators who defined the function of the DC as the cell that joined the Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses, thereby redefining the field of Immunology.

Over some three and half decades, Ralph Steinman was able, first, to successfully isolate populations of DCs; a most difficult undertaking. He learned how to enrich these cells in vivo and in vitro, and how to grow them in culture, thus making studies of the DC a rational undertaking on an international scale. He defined the critical role of the DC as the professional antigen presenting cell by showing the series of steps that allowed the DC to digest organisms that had undergone phagocytosis. Then came the studies on how the various, digested foreign peptides were linked to molecules of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) that were synthesized by the DC to form MHC-peptide complexes, which were then transported to the DC cell surface. This was the final step of the Innate Immune response. Subsequently, the DC鈥檚 presentation of the MHC-peptide complex to the T helper cell initiated the Adaptive Immune response. And so the field of Immunology was, at last, united. The role of the DC in antigen-specific tolerance, amongst yet other physiologic functions, would follow in later studies.

Ralph Steinman was the consummate Clinician-Scientist. An outstanding experimentalist he demanded excellence of himself, and of those who worked with him. But teaching and the demand for excellence were always accompanied by kindness, and a broad smile that seemed never to leave his face. He was a mentor to a huge cadre of Immunologists, many of whom would go on to outstanding careers in their own right, and in whom he always took great pride. In conversations with him, there seemed no doubt that his three priorities in life were family, education and research, in that order. And he was remarkably successful in all three areas.

Always the clinician, Ralph saw the value of DCs in the field of vaccine therapy, both in infectious diseases and in cancer. Indeed, he and his colleagues learned how to expose DCs in culture to the cancer cells of patients, so that a dendritic cell vaccine could be created which would specifically attack the autologous cancer cells of the patient. In yet another irony, Ralph鈥檚 final Clinical Trial was some four years of receiving a dendritic cell vaccine directed against his own pancreatic cancer. There is little doubt that his prolonged survival was largely due to the vaccine employed.

Ralph Steinman was, in many ways, virtually all things to all people. Family man, physician, scientist, colleague, mentor, and friend. In all these roles, he will be greatly missed. [2012 Mar. 11]

- Dr. Phil Gold CC, OQ, MD, PhD

Douglas G. Cameron Professor of Medicine,

Professor of Physiology and Oncology,

91社区 Executive Director Clinical Research Centre 91社区 Heath Centre

We regret to announce the death of Dr. John H. Spencer, formerly a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry 91社区, from 1961-1978 and then he moved to Queen's University as Professor and then Chair in the Department of Biochemistry until 1990.

John Spencer was born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, England, on April 10, 1933. He received his B.Sc (Hons) from St. Andrews University (Scotland) in Biochemistry in 1956. In 1960 he received his PhD from the Biochemistry Department of 91社区 in Montreal, and conducted post-doctoral studies there, and then at Columbia University with Erwin Chargaff, the DNA chemist, from 1959 to 1961.

Professor Spencer had a distinguished research career as a biochemist and pioneered approaches to DNA sequencing and the measurement of gene expression. In recognition of his achievements he was the recipient of many awards and trained a generation of distinguished researchers.

Our sympathy to his wife Magdeline Kulin and their children. [2012 Feb. 22]

Rose Mamelak Johnstone, B.Sc. 1950, and Ph.D. 1953 (91社区), Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry, who was the Chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 1980-1990 passed away in Montreal in 2009 at age 81. Rose was born in Lodz Poland in 1928 and immigrated with her family to Canada in 1936. As a science student initially planning to specialize in Microbiology, she became enchanted with David Thomson鈥檚 lectures in biochemistry and switched fields to finally obtain a B.Sc degree with first class honors. She then went on to graduate studies at 91社区, in the laboratory of the distinguished professor, J.H. Quastel, head of the 91社区-Montreal General Hospital Research Institute, where she studied anaerobic amino acid interactions in bacteria. Following her PhD studies, she undertook post-doctoral research at leading English laboratories including the National Institute of Medical Research at Mill Hill, the Chester Beatty Research Institute in London and the Strangeways Research Laboratory in Cambridge.

In 1956, Rose returned to 91社区 to take up a position as research associate at the 91社区-MGH Research Institute. Then, in 1961, she joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at 91社区 as an Assistant Professor, and remained there until the end of her life, becoming an Associate Professor in 1966 and a Full Professor in 1977. In 1985 she was named to the Gilman Cheney Chair in Biochemistry.

Rose had a distinguished research record and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1987 in recognition of her many scientific contributions. Her early research dealt primarily with the metabolism of cancer cells, but soon after, she focused her work on membrane proteins and transport systems. Her major interest became sodium-dependent amino acid transport in mammlain cells and some of her major contributions to this field were insights into the electrochemical component of this process. Starting in the late 1970鈥檚, collaborative studies aimed to understand the intriguing decline of certain transport systems that occurs during red blood cell maturation led Rose into an adventure, which she called 鈥淎lice in Blunderland鈥�. Here, she and her colleagues 鈥渟tumbled鈥� on 鈥淓xosomes鈥� that correspond to intraluminal vesicles within the cell. She then went on to show that shedding of exosomes comprises a route for eliminating specific membrane proteins as the immature red cell (reticulocyte) matures. This serendipitous adventure underscores Rose鈥檚 intense curiosity and insightfulness. Since her identification, there has been considerable interest in exosomes and their function in health and disease, for example, their role in antigen presentation.

Rose鈥檚 accomplishments extended beyond her research. As a Professor of Biochemistry, Rose was a dedicated and engaging teacher. She loved the subject and worked assiduously to stimulate her students with a clear understanding of basic principles. She was also a very active member of the 91社区 community. She served as a member of the 91社区 Senate as well as on countless committees of the University, the Board of Governors, and the Faculty of Medicine. Rose was a member of the Council of the 91社区 Association of University Teachers (MAUT) and held the positions of Secretary and Treasurer in that organization. She also served the scientific community at large: she was a Past President of the Canadian Biochemical Society, a Past President of the Montreal Physiology Society and served as the Treasurer of the Royal Society of Canada between 1991 and 1994. Among the honours bestowed upon her was the Queen鈥檚 Jubilee Silver Medal in 1978.

Rose Johnstone was a warm and generous person with a keen sense of humour and love of life. She spent the last fourteen years of her life with her partner Professor Roy Caplan, living in Israel during fall and winter and in Montreal during spring and summer. They not only had fruitful scientific collaborations, but they shared a love of theatre and opera and travelled extensively throughout the world. Rose was a valued colleague and friend. To her family and friends she was a source of wisdom and strength to which they were always free to turn. She was deeply loved and is sorely missed.

Rose Mamelak Johnstone was predeceased by her husband Douglas and leaves to mourn her partner Roy Caplan, sons Michael and Eric and their children, and siblings Joseph, Helen and Mortimer. [May 14, 1928-July 3, 2009]

- Rhoda Blostein, PhD, Professor Emeritus,

Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, 91社区

Angus Frederick Graham, BASc, MASc (University of Toronto), DSc, PhD (University of Edinburgh), Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry (91社区) died on 4 August 2008 in Montreal at age 92. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 28 March 1916. Angus became interested in organic chemistry while studying chemical engineering at the University of Toronto, subsequently pursuing his interests in this field at the University of Edinburgh. While there, he quickly became interested in viruses, as a potential model to study biosynthesis of macromolecular structures. Returning to Canada in 1947, he joined the University of Toronto and the Connaught Medical Research Laboratories to continue his research in virology, and he remained there until 1958. At the Connaught labs, he was the first to show the incorporation of a radioisotope (32P) into a purified mammalian virus (influenzaA). During these years, he conducted research on the relationship between viruses and host cells, using several phages. Further, he directed numerous studies on the fate of infecting viruses and the synthesis of their nucleic acid components. In this time he trained many budding scientists and post-doctoral fellows, one of whom, Dr. Lou Siminovitch, remembers Angus for his insightfulness and encouragement to embark on new endeavors related to the development of the genetics and biochemistry of mammalian cells in vitro; together they published a dozen papers of considerable significance.

In 1958, Angus accepted an invitation to conduct research at the renowned Wistar Institute, associated with the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. There, he continued to pursue his interests in virology, making important contributions to our understanding of poliovirus, mengo virus, and then latterly, reoviruses. Among these was an important analysis of a plaque assay method for poliovirus. The team he directed on reovirus research became leading authorities in this area.

In 1970, Angus heeded a call to return to Canada, to become the chairman of the Biochemistry Department at 91社区, a position he held until 1980; in 1986 he was awarded the Gilman Cheney Emeritus Professorship of Biochemistry. During this period he continued to train and produce outstanding scientists, some of whom continue to work in Canada. Collectively, this work on reoviruses produced more than 30 important papers in this field. In recognition of Angus鈥� accomplishments and contributions, he was elected in 1978 as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Angus鈥� legacy to Canadian science extends well beyond his scientific accomplishments and the scientists he helped train; notably, he was instrumental in recruiting outstanding individuals to the Biochemistry Department at 91社区 and building a cohesive ensemble of superb, productive scientists and educators. A hallmark of Angus鈥� leadership was the promotion of collegiality among the faculty and his democratic approach to decision making.

Throughout his life Angus travelled extensively, living and working in many countries including the United States, Venezuela, France and England. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid rock climber in his younger days. He especially enjoyed skiing with his boys. He read extensively to the very end and never lost his desire to learn and discuss new subjects and ideas. Angus touched the lives of many through his wisdom, humility and humor, and he is greatly missed.

Angus leaves to mourn his wife Jacqueline, two sons, Robert and Andrew, and their families. [March 28, 1916-August 4, 2008]

- Peter E. Braun, PhD, Professor Emeritus,

Department of Biochemistry, 91社区