This one-time event will take place on Wednesday, March 7th and mark the 50th anniversary of the discovery of stem cells by two Canadian scientists, Drs. James Till and Ernest McCulloch. The Gala will also officially launch the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation.

Below is the recent full page ad that ran in the Globe and Mail about the Gala. And keep your eyes open this coming Saturday when the Gala will be promoted again in the Globe on the back cover of the Focus Section.

We would like to thank the many organizations who are generously supporting the Renew the World Gala. Your commitment and leadership are building great momentum for what will be a truly extraordinary event.

To find out more about the Gala, visit www.renewtheworld.ca.

We have lost a great Canadian and the Foundation has lost a friend.

Mr. Milton Wong passed away on December 31^st of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72. Milton was a dear friend and trusted advisor to me personally and to the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation as a member of our President’s Advisory Council.

He was also one of the Founding Directors of the Stem Cell Network and was one of the earliest champions and inspirations for establishing the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation.  He will be deeply missed.

As a business leader and philanthropist, Milton was creative, a big thinker, and an inspiration to so many.  More importantly he cared for people, had time for people, and touched everyone and anyone that he met.  His legacy lives on in his family, his many close friends, and the important “ideas” and “organizations” that he brought to life with his energy and compassion.

You can read more about Milton, his leadership, and his many contributions to Canada here.

James Price
President & CEO
Canadian Stem Cell Foundation

(Photo by Jon Sinal)

“It was one of those Sundays, where one scientist was spelling off the other, checking the lab mice in a project that was all about using radiation for cancer treatment. So imagine their surprise when the two scientists realized what was really happening to those mice. They were growing stem cells. The year was 1960. The scientists were right here in Canada. Today, the story of James Till and Ernest McCulloch, two of Canada’s most accomplished and least heralded scientists.”

Click here to listen to the full interview that Anna Maria Tremonti conducted with Dr. James Till and Joe Sornberger, author of “Dreams & Due Diligence”.

Host of "The Current", Anna Maria Tremonti

This coming Tuesday (December 6th), tune in to CBC’s The Current as Anna Maria Tremonti sits down for a candid conversation with Dr. Jim Till and Joe Sornberger.

Together, they will share their thoughts about the new book, Dreams & Due Diligence, that has been written by Joe Sornberger and published by UofT Press.

The Current is a meeting place of perspectives, ideas and voices, with a fresh take on issues that affect Canadians today. The program brings new insight to stories that Canadians are talking about now, and uncovers stories they’ll be talking about next week and next year.

Take the time to listen in on their candid and thoughtful conversation about Canada’s 50 year stem cell legacy, the impact it has had, and what the future holds.

The program will air Tuesday, December 6th between 8:30-9:30 am and will be re-broadcast that evening. You will also be able to download the podcast from The Current’swebsite.

Today, Dr. Michael Rudnicki of the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research and Dr. Peter Zandstra who is a Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Bioengineering were featured in the Globe and Mail for their roles in charting the future of regenerative medicine.

Dr. Michael Rudnicki in his regenerative medicine lab at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute's Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research. Photo Dwayne Brown/Ottawa Hospital

In describing his work related to the growth and repair of normal muscles, Dr. Rudnicki says, “What we’re doing is harnessing the stem cells that remain in our body to behave as if they’re in a young individual. We want to stimulate the intrinsic repair processes that are already there, but have become quite dormant as we age.”

Stem cells are already used in therapies such as bone-marrow transplants and cartilage repair, though many future opportunities have been identified where stem cells can be used.

Dr. Zandstra sums up the commitment and focus of Canada’s stem cells nicely: “What we all hope is that there will be new curative treatments for debilitating diseases.”

You can read the full article here.

Inspired by this landmark research, the array of creative interpretations featured in the exhibit explore the intersection of art and science as part of the project initiated by the Ontario Science Centre and developed in collaboration with the Stem Cell Network.

The exhibit is behind held at the Textile Museum of Canada from December 3, 2011 to January 22, 2012.

You’re invited to the Opening Reception on Friday December 9th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Textile Museum. Come celebrate with us! Find out more here.

The event was initiated by Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan who represents Etobicoke North. Earlier this year Kirsty Duncan stood in the House of Commons to urge Canada Post to issue a stamp honouring Till and McCulloch for their landmark discovery.

According to the Montreal Gazette, the “celebratory appearance on Parliament Hill this week and a new book paying tribute to James Till’s achievements as a global pioneer in stem-cell science could help position the renowned medical researcher for an honour that eluded his fellow Canadian collaborator, the late Ernest McCulloch: a Nobel Prize.”

“The Parliament Hill tribute, the new book, the push to win him Nobel recognition — Till appreciates it all, he said in an interview on Monday, ‘but it’s not for such awards and prizes that either of us got into science. We got into it to do things, and we were lucky enough to accomplish that.’

“Till acknowledged that ‘it would be an honour’ if the Nobel committee eventually recognized the Canadian discovery with its prestigious award. But other top science awards have already been won, he said, ‘and we have a legacy of academic descendants that I’m very proud of’ — scores of leading researchers around the world, all searching for cures or unravelling fresh mysteries of the human body by building on Till and McCulloch’s seminal discovery from a half-century ago.”

Read the full coverage here.

Tonight we are returning home to the Princess Margaret Hospital for the official launch of the new book Dreams & Due Diligence: Till & McCulloch’s Stem Cell Discovery & Legacy.

Author Joe Sornberger will have a conversation with one of the heroes of his groundbreaking new book, Dr. James Till, and Dr. Michael Rudnicki, Scientific Director of the Stem Cell Network and Director of the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research. Moderated by Dr. Kirsty Duncan (MP for Etobicoke North and member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health), they will speak candidly about how the discovery was made, how this important field of science has grown, Canada’s international strength, and what the future may hold.

We’re proud to be presenting this historical evening with the University of Toronto Press in the very building where Till and McCulloch made their revolutionary stem cell discovery.

Today, we’re thrilled to share with you that Dr. Alan Bernstein has been appointed Chair of our Board of Directors (something you will read about soon in the national newspapers).

Dr. Bernstein was the founding President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and led the transformation in how health research is organized and funded in Canada. More recently, he was the inaugural Executive Director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise in New York, responsible for the 2010 Scientific Strategic Plan for HIV vaccine development, and facilitating and integrating the activities of the Enterprise’s partners.

Dr. Bernstein is recognized internationally as both a respected scientist with over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and as an accomplished leader. His contributions to science have been recognized by many awards including the McLaughlin Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, the Robert L. Noble Prize from the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the Genetics Society of Canada Award of Excellence, and many others including the Order of Canada in 2002.

Upon accepting the role of Chair of the Board of Directors, Dr. Bernstein noted that there are few areas of health research that are as exciting and that hold as much potential for human health and disease as stem cells. In working with the Board and the leadership team, Dr. Bernstein believes that the Foundation has a great story to tell that will excite leading Canadians, policy makers, and the public about the importance of stem cell research.

Board of Directors

Dr. Bernstein is joined on the Board by Canadians who have demonstrated their commitment to research and ensuring Canada’s stem cell future.

• Honourable A. Anne McLellan – Senior Partner, Bennett Jones, Corporate Director Nexen, Cameco, and Agrium. Former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Minister of Health.
• Dr. Martha C. Piper — Corporate Director for the Bank of Montreal, TransAlta, and Shoppers Drug Mart. Former President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of British Columbia.
• Dr. Samuel Weiss – Chair of the Foundation’s Science Leadership Council, Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and 2008 recipient of the Gairdner International Award.
• Dr. Allen Eaves – Founder, President & CEO of STEMCELL Technologies, Founder of the Terry Fox Laboratory for Hematology/Oncology Research.
• Mr. David W. Hughes – President & CEO of Pathways to Education Canada and former President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.
• Mr. Andrew Lyall – Executive Director of the Stem Cell Network and Chair of the Steering Committee of the International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks.

President’s Advisory Council

Complementing the Board is the President’s Advisory Council. These leaders are nationally recognized for bringing major initiatives to life in both the private and public sectors. The President’s Advisory Council includes:

• Mr. Peter Bentley — Former Chair and CEO of Canfor, Former Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia
• Mr. Charlie Fischer — Former Chair and CEO of Nexen, Former Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors for the University of Calgary
• Mr. Eric Newell — Former Chair and CEO of Syncrude, Former Chancellor of the University of Alberta
• Mr. Allan Taylor — Former Chair and CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada
• Mr. Milton Wong — Former Chair of HSBC Asset Management, Former Chancellor of Simon Fraser University

Science Leadership Council

In addition to the Board and the President’s Advisory Council, the Foundation has also established the Science Leadership Council that is comprised of leading stem cell scientists including:

• Dr. Samuel Weiss — Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary (Chair)
• Dr. Tim Caufield — Director of the Health Law Institute, University of Alberta
• Dr. Connie Eaves — VP Research at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver
• Dr. Gordon Keller — Director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Toronto
• Dr. Janet Rossant — Chief of Research at the Hospital for Sick Kids, Toronto
• Dr. Michael Rudnicki — Director of the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa
• Dr. Guy Sauvageau — Director of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal

We hope that you will celebrate as their commitment to the Foundation joins yours. And we hope that you will continue to support them as you have supported us.

Joe has written extensive on the topic of stem cell science — he’s as knowledgeable as he is passionate. We posed a few questions to Joe so you could get to know him a bit better. Here are a few of his thoughts.

What is the most important message you want readers to take away from Dreams & Due Diligence?

“The thing that I’m probably most passionate about is to simply get the story out. The discovery of stem cells by two Canadian researchers is something that should be as familiar as the Banting and Best breakthrough — but somehow isn’t. To me, that is a huge oversight. I want people — Canadians particularly — to be proud of this. We celebrate our hockey players and performing artists but tend to give short shrift to our outstanding scientists whose work saves lives.”

This is very much the untold story of the discovery of stem cells. What surprised you most?

“The major surprise was how remarkably different Till and McCulloch were in every possible way. They were polar opposites, with different approaches to work, entirely different histories, different tastes and vastly different attitudes. They were fated to be either the best of friends or the worst of enemies. Turns out it was the former. It was a case of one person having the qualities that the other lacked — and each person realizing that. The whole truly was greater than the sum of the parts.

“The other big surprise was how keen people were to talk about Till and McCulloch. When I mentioned their names and said that I was doing a book about them, doors suddenly opened, telephone messages were quickly returned and emails were rapidly replied to. Some of the biggest brains in the medical science business took the time to talk. Tak Mak — easily one of the most important cancer researchers in the world — chatted to me for well over an hour. John Dick, who will have books written about him someday soon, shared large chunks of his time. Connie Eaves put herself at my disposal and gave marvellously thoughtful, insightful answers. Irving Weissman at Stanford was extremely helpful. So was Sir John Bell at Oxford. The upshot is: Till and McCulloch are held in very high regard in the medical science community.”

What was the single best moment you had while interviewing the many people you reached out to?

“I can’t limit it to one. One of the early high points was when I received a handwritten note from Dr. McCulloch, who was very frail and in failing health, agreeing to do interviews for the book. I knew he was not well and I had faced the prospect of taking on the project without being able to talk to him. So it was a great moment when he agreed to participate. My other great McCulloch moment came when I interviewed him at his bedside in the nursing home a couple of months before his death. We were chatting and he said something to the effect of: ‘I hope you’re not going to make too big a thing about this. Don’t mythologize us.’ His point, I think was that he and Dr. Till were just two guys working away at something they loved and felt passionate about.

“My other high point occurred at the U of T Archives. I was there with Dr. Till and we were frustrated because we couldn’t find the prep notes from the original 1961 discovery. He was pretty sure he and Dr. McCulloch had tossed them out. When I looked disappointed Dr. Till, this great man who really ought to have a Nobel Prize on his bookshelf, actually apologized, saying, ‘At the time, you don’t think you’re going to be doing anything historic.’

“One other high point. I needed to get a sense of Dr. McCulloch’s impact on Princess Margaret Hospital’s pioneering bone marrow transplantation program. Dr. Hans Messner, who McCulloch recruited right out of school from Germany and eventually ran the program, set it all out for me, explaining exactly how McCulloch created it and drove it. That program has saved something like 2,000 lives. And McCulloch made it happen.”

“Sornberger’s crackling, personal and insightful narrative successfully captures their individual characters, their contribution and its reverberations today. A wonderful read for those interested in understanding the beginnings of this most exciting and promising field of biomedical science.”

~ Norman N. Iscove, Senior Scientist, The Ontario Cancer Institute,
University Health Network, and Professor, Departments of
Medical Biophysics and Immunology, University of Toronto

Joe has written a beautiful book about an important Canadian story. We hope you’ll make time to read it soon.