Dr. Morley Hollenberg named 2012 Henry Friesen Award recipient

Posted August 22, 2012

By Aisling Gamble

Dr. Morley Hollenberg is the 2012 recipient of the Henry Friesen Award, as chosen jointly by the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation (CSCI) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.  This is the second time in three years that a member of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine has received the award, with Paul Kubes, PhD, earning the honour in 2010.

A professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and a member of the Inflammation Research Network of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Dr. Hollenberg joins other influential researchers and scientists in Canada, including Tony Pawson, Michel Chretien, Alan Bernstein and Nobel Prize winner, Michael Smith, as a recipient of the award.

Named in honour of Dr. Henry Friesen, who revolutionized health funding in Canada as the founder of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the award recognizes a distinguished Canadian scientist who has demonstrated leadership in developing biomedical research at local, national and international levels.

“Dr. Friesen has been a kind of mentor to me and a superb role model who has taken an interest in the progress of my research career. It is an extraordinary honour to be a recipient of this award because of the person whose name is attached to it,” said Dr. Hollenberg.

He extends his kudos to the Inflammation Research Network Group, the Snyder Institute, the Faculty of Medicine and the university as a whole. Receiving this award, he says, emphasizes not only the quality and long-term nature of the continuing research, but also the role model process. 

“The award serves notice to those across the country that something good is going on at the University of Calgary in terms of sustained research excellence and recognized mentorship. These issues are exemplified by Dr. Friesen, in whose honour the award is made.”

Dr. Hollenberg will deliver a lecture during the 2012 CSCI Annual Conference, which will be held at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in September.