B. Brett Finlay - Vancouver

An extraordinary academic scientist, Dr. Brett Finlay is making major contributions to human health and welfare - and to British Columbia.

Working in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Finlay has combined animal cell biology and microbiology to establish the new field of cellular microbiology. This has allowed him to take major strides forward in infectious disease research.

He has worked to bring factual and timely information to decision makers and has used the news media to make his research meaningful to the public.

His research is highly creative, interdisciplinary, hugely productive, and full of significance to the general public.

Dr. Finlay initiated the Canadian Coalition for Safe Food and Water to foster research on improved food and water safety, dealing with issues such as antimicrobial resistance and bioterrorism, as well as discovered and developed a successful cow vaccine for E. coli O157.

Following the devastating outbreak of SARS worldwide, Dr. Finlay was asked to lead an effort to develop a human SARS vaccine. Due to the urgency of that situation, rather than the usual ten-year vaccine development cycle, Dr. Finlay pushed research forward to the point that three prototype vaccines were developed within six months, and a vaccine was selected within a year.

A leader and innovator, an internationally recognized authority in his field, and a contributor to improved human health, Dr. Finlay is an exceptional British Columbian.