2024 Gairdner Science Week Laureate Lectures

On October 24, the annual Laureate Lectures drew a full crowd to the MaRS Discovery District Auditorium for Gairdner Science Week, where seven 2024 Canada Gairdner Award laureates and three Early Career Investigator (ECI) Award recipients presented their transformative research in biomedical science.
View the full event album here
Dr. Shankar Balasubramanian highlighted revolutionary DNA sequencing breakthroughs that promise to transform personalized medicine. Dr. David Klenerman explored how the physical sciences are driving new biomedical applications. Dr. Pascal Mayer detailed the journey behind next-generation sequencing technology and its rapid impact on genomics.
In the realm of cancer treatment innovations, Dr. Michel Sadelain illustrated the promise of CAR T cell therapies, while Dr. Laura Evgin shared her work on enhancing their effectiveness and accessibility.
Health in early development emerged as a key theme as Dr. Meghan Azad delved into the unique properties of human milk, while Dr. Sue Tsai revealed how maternal antibodies influence offspring immune health, offering insights for diabetes prevention.
Dr. Christian Landry brought an evolutionary perspective to biomedical research, and Dr. Raquel Cuella Martin showcased how precision genome engineering is unlocking new knowledge about protein functions. Closing the event, Dr. Gagandeep Kang recounted the journey of India's rotavirus vaccine and its role in saving young lives globally.
This year’s Laureate Lectures highlighted the remarkable power of scientific discovery to transform lives around the world.
Watch the full event recording below!
View the full event recording playlist here.
Related Winners
-
Meghan Azad
PhD Professor, Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba; Research Scientist, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba; Director of Science & Knowledge Mobilization, THRiVE Discovery Lab; Co-Director, Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC); Canada Research Chair, Early Nutrition and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease -
Shankar Balasubramanian
FRS Herchel Smith Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge -
Gagandeep Kang
FRS Adjunct Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India; Director, Enteric, Diagnostics, Genomics and Epidemiology, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation -
David Klenerman
FMedSci FRS Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge -
Christian Landry
Professor of biology and biochemistry, Laval University; Canada Research Chair in Cellular Systems and Synthetic Biology -
Pascal Mayer
CEO & co-founder, Alphanosos, Honorary Chair at the Institute for Advanced Study of the University of Strasbourg (USIAS) -
Michel Sadelain
MD, PhD Director, Center for Cell Engineering, Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
Guest Speakers
-
Raquel Cuella Martin
PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Human Genetics; Principal Investigator, Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University -
Laura Evgin
PhD Scientist, BC Cancer Research Institute; Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia -
Sue Tsai
PhD Canada Research Chair in Immunometabolism and Diabetes; Assistant Professor Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta