Schulich Medicine alumna named among Canada’s Top 40 Under 40
Dr. Teresa Purzner, MD’09, was named as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 for 2021, celebrating her achievements in research, neurosurgery and entrepreneurship.
A clinician-scientist at Kingston General Hospital Research Institute, Purzner takes an interdisciplinary approach to identifying new therapeutic targets for paediatric brain cancers, as well as translating these targets into novel drug treatments.
She is also a neurosurgeon at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Queen's School of Medicine, Queen’s University.
During her time as a PhD student at Stanford University, Purzner discovered a new drug target to treat medulloblastoma, a common paediatric brain tumour, earning her national and international recognition. Her discovery led to the launch of a collaborative clinical trial, and has since been adapted into a therapeutic treatment for brain and skin cancer.
In 2017, she co-founded Cerebelly, a brand of organic, nutritionally dense baby food designed to promote optimal early brain development. Cerebelly is the first shelf-safe baby food to receive the Project Purity Award, and is available in more than 7,000 stores in the United States.
