Dr. Pieter Cullis becomes a laureate at the Gairdner 2022 Awards Gala

Former LSI Director Dr. Pieter Cullis was celebrated along with six other new laureates at the Gairdner Award Gala the night of October 27.

A spectacular evening dedicated to the scientific excellence and the work of outstanding researchers, the gala was a combined, in-person event honouring 2021 and 2022 laureates including Dr. Cullis, Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, Dr. Deborah J. Cook, Dr. John E. Dick, Dr. Katalin Karikó and Dr. Drew Weissman, and Dr. Stuart H. Orkin.

According to the Gairdner Foundation, annually, seven awards are given: five Canada Gairdner International Awards for biomedical research, the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award, specifically for impact on global health issues, and the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, reserved for a Canadian scientist showcasing scientific excellence and leadership.

Laureates each receive $100,000 CDN that can be put towards anything the laureate wishes.

Dr. Cullis, Dr. Karikó and Dr. Weismann were three among the five recipients of International Awards, traditionally given to outstanding biomedical scientists who have made original contributions to medicine resulting in an increased understanding of human biology and disease, in this case developing nucleoside-modified mRNA and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) drug delivery: foundational technologies for the highly effective COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

As part of the celebration of the laureates and their science, the Gairdner Foundation collaborated with UBC’s Michael Smith Laboratories to produce a series of articles, comics and lesson ideas. The section dedicated to Dr. Cullis and his work developing LNPs includes art by Armin Mortazavi, and text by Braydon Black.

Canada Gairdner Awards 2022 Laureates Education Materials – Pieter Cullis

Canada Gairdner Full Education package

Congratulations to all the laureates!