Interview at Radio Canada International: Dr. Nabil Seidah receives an award
The Montréal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) is delighted to announce that its scientist, Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, was awarded the prestigious J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine. This is also the first time the award has beenis presented to a Quebec scientist.
“The value of Dr. Seidah's work as well as its impact on collective health have been undeniable over the decades. This new recognition by his peers is a well-deserved reward that makes us very proud," said Dr. Jean-François Côté, President and Scientific Director of the IRCM.
“Dr. Seidah’s work is a sterling example of science’s highest ability to impact the scientific community and citizens’ health and well-being’’, said the jury while announcing its decision.
Dr. Seidah is recognized worldwide as the scientist responsible for discovering and cloning seven of the nine known secretory serine proteases of the proprotein convertases group. Proprotein convertases play an essential role in the neural and endocrine system, including regulating the functions of various peripheral organs such as the liver, the pancreas, the pituitary gland and the heart, among others, as well as the cardiovascular and immune systems. The proprotein convertases have been identified as therapeutic targets for viral infection, inflammation, hypercholesterolemia, and cancer. His work, which has already led to the development of revolutionary cholesterol drugs, opens up infinite possibilities for the future development of innovative therapies.
With more than 820 peer reviewed manuscripts, Dr. Seidah is cited as the top protease expert in Canada and the sixth worldwide. As genetics and biopharmaceuticals continue to accelerate as research fields, Dr. Seidah’s discoveries will translate into improved therapies and personalized preventative treatments for age-related diseases.
Throughout a career spanning nearly 50 years, Dr. Seidah has been decorated with numerous awards and recognition. He has been a member of the Order of Quebec since 1997, and of the Order of Canada since 1999. An endowed Tier-1 Canada research chair on Precursor Proteolysis since 2003, he is also the recipient of the prestigious 2018 Lefoulon DeLalande award (Institut de France), of the Akira Endo award for his innovative research in the field of cardiometabolic diseases, as well as the 2021 Kuwait Award in Applied Medical Sciences.
Dr. Seidah is a full research professor at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal/Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) and the Director of the Biochemical Neuroendocrinology Research Unit within the Center for Cardiometabolic Health at the IRCM, as well as a full professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal (UdeM).
About the J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine
The annual J. Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine is one of Canada's most prestigious medical research prizes.
The prize, which comes with an amount of $40,000, is awarded to one or more individuals who have made significant contributions to basic or clinical research in a specific field.
Nominees include individual scientists or groups of scientists whose initiatives fall within a field of research, which is determined annually and reflects one of the main research areas at Robarts and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
