2025 Gairdner Science Week Laureate Lectures

On October 23, the annual Gairdner Laureate Lectures drew a full audience to the MaRS Discovery District Auditorium for Gairdner Science Week, where eight 2025 Canada Gairdner Award laureates and two Early Career Investigator (ECI) Award recipients presented their groundbreaking research in biomedical science.

View the full event album here.

In the realm of cystic fibrosis, Michael Welsh traced decades of discovery that revealed how a single gene mutation disrupts lung function, paving the way for life-changing therapies. Paul Negulescu followed by sharing the remarkable translational journey that led to the development of CFTR modulators — treatments that target the root cause of cystic fibrosis.

In global health, André Briend recounted how ready-to-use therapeutic foods revolutionized the treatment of severe childhood malnutrition worldwide. Prativa Baral, an ECI Award recipient, highlighted the need for resilient, evidence-informed health systems prepared to respond rapidly to global crises.

Daniel De Carvalho delved into the world of cancer epigenetics, revealing how DNA methylation patterns can be harnessed for early cancer detection through liquid biopsy.

Exploring the Notch signaling pathway, Iva Greenwald and Gary Struhl offered complementary insights into how cells communicate and make fate decisions during development. Nika Shakiba, an ECI Award recipient, described how stem cells compete and cooperate within tissues, uncovering new principles of developmental biology.

Closing the program, Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas reflected on decades of research into the Notch pathway — a paradigm of biological complexity that continues to inspire new discoveries.

Watch the full event recording below!

View the full event recording playlist here.