T.O. stem cell pioneers win `America's Nobel'

Sept. 18.

The article celebrating the awarding of the 2005 Lasker Award to Ernest McCulloch and James Till of Toronto has been received enthusiastically by Canada's scientific community and the public. McCulloch and Till are indeed the fathers of stem cells, and these U.S. awards reinforce that fact.

But not to be forgotten are Canada's own, Toronto-based Gairdner International Awards. McCulloch and Till received Gairdner Awards 36 years ago in 1969. The Gairdner Foundation will be joining them in celebrating their Lasker Awards at a luncheon today in New York.

Since history has shown that recipients of both the Gairdner Awards and the Lasker Award have a 65 per cent chance of winning a Nobel Prize, we will stay tuned to the announcements of this year's Nobel winners on Monday, Oct. 3.

Dr. John Dirks,
President,The Gairdner Foundation, Toronto