Browse "Health scientists"

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Frances Oldham Kelsey

Frances Oldham Kelsey, CM, pharmacologist (born 24 July 1914 in Cobble Hill, BC; died 7 August 2015 in London, ON). As an employee of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Kelsey blocked the sale of thalidomide in the United States. The drug, which had been widely prescribed in Europe and Canada, was later shown to cause severe birth defects in children whose mothers had taken the drug while pregnant. In recognition of her “exceptional judgment” and determination, Kelsey received the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. Kelsey and her work have been widely lauded in the United States but are less known in Canada. She was made a Member of the Order of Canada shortly before her death. (See also Thalidomide in Canada.)

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Hans Selye

His theorizing about a General Adaptation Syndrome, based on much experimentation on rats, provoked much controversy. Briefly put, his model suggests that all stimuli are "stressors" that produce a general response of "stress" in the affected person.

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Harold Elford Johns

Harold Elford Johns, OC, FRSC, physicist, educator (born 4 July 1915 in Chengdu [Chengtu], West China; died 23 August 1998 in Kingston, ON). Harold Johns is recognized for his contributions to medical physics and for the development of cobalt-60 therapy units, used in cancer treatment. (See also Canadian Contributions to Medicine.)

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Henri J. Breault

Henri Joseph Breault, medical doctor, anti-poisoning advocate (born 4 March 1909 in Tecumseh, ON; died 5 September 1983 in Exeter, ON). Breault is known for spearheading a national campaign to prevent accidental childhood poisonings. He advocated for the development of the Palm-N-Turn, a safety cap that drastically reduced child deaths due to poisoning in Canada and around the world.

Timelines

History of Health and Healthcare in Canada

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Irene Uchida

Irene Ayako Uchida, OC, geneticist (born 8 April 1917 in Vancouver, BC; died 30 July 2013 in Toronto, ON). Dr. Uchida pioneered the field of cytogenetics in Canada, enabling early screening for chromosomal abnormalities (i.e., changes in chromosomes caused by genetic mutations). She discovered that women who receive X-rays during pregnancy have a higher chance of giving birth to a baby with Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. She also discovered that the extra chromosome that causes Down syndrome may come from either parent, not only the mother. Click here for definitions of key terms used in this article.

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James Till

James Edgar Till, OC, OOnt, FRS, FRSC, scientist, physicist, researcher, teacher (born 25 August 1931 in Lloydminster, SK). James Till and his colleague Ernest McCulloch conducted pioneering research into stem cells during the 1960s and 1970s (see Stem Cell Research). Their research inspired future developments in bone marrow transplants and other medical advances. (See also Medical Research.)

Macleans

Jock Murray (Profile)

If Aaron Sorkin doesn't have Jock Murray's number on speed dial, he should. Sorkin, creator of the television hit The West Wing, could learn a thing or two from the Dalhousie University neurologist.This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on October 21, 2002

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Margaret Wilson Thompson

Margaret (Peggy) Anne Wilson Thompson, CM, human geneticist (born 7 January 1920 on the Isle of Man, England; died 3 November 2014 in Toronto, ON). Thompson contributed to human genetics through research on a variety of genetic disorders, particularly muscular dystrophy. She also cowrote Genetics in Medicine, a widely used text. While celebrated among her peers for her gifts as a scientist, mentor and teacher, she left a controversial legacy for her participation in eugenics in the early 1960s.

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Michel Chrétien

Michel Chrétien, physician, researcher, professor (b at Shawinigan, Qué 26 Mar 1936), brother of Jean Chrétien. Educated at Montréal, Boston and Berkeley, Chrétien is internationally recognized for his contribution to neuroendocrinology.