Gairdner Foundation Lecture on Monday

The Gairdner Foundation and Western University are pleased to present the Gairdner Foundation's National Program lecture series. Throughout the month of October, Canada Gairdner Award recipients will share their knowledge and expertise in various fields of biomedical research, with universities across Canada. Each year, Gairdner's National Program reaches over 6,000 students at 21 universities across the country.

As one of the most respected international science awards, The Canada Gairdner Awards honour the world's most significant medical research. The National Program connects Gairdner winners to the current and emerging generation of Canadian researchers. Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is pleased to welcome two Canada Gairdner Award recipients as they present their future-shaping research to our students and community members.

This year's l;ecture will feature: Dr. Harvey Alter, PhD, 2013 Canada Gairdner International Laureate, Distinguished NIH Investigator, Bethesda, USA, will discuss "HCV: From Hippocrates to cure" and Dr. Daniel Bradley, PhD, 2013 Canada Gairdner International Laureate, Viral Hepatitis, CDC, Georgia, USA, will discuss "HCV: The discovery of a shadowy virus".

These two Canada Gairdner Award recipients are being recognized for their critical contributions to the discovery and isolation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), leading to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic agents. The combined research of these scientists led to preventative screening tests which have virtually eliminated the spread of the virus through blood-transfusions.

Chronic HCV affects approximately 150 million people worldwide and can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and even death. In fact, over 350,000 people, globally, die each year from HCV-related liver diseases. Diagnosis of HCV is now a reality and has led to treatment which can cure most patients. In hepatitis B virus and HIV infections, treatment can only control the virus, whereas in hepatitis C, treatment can eradicate the virus completely.

The lectures take place Monday, October 21st from 10:00-11:30 in Auditorium A, University Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.