Acting VP research appointed for University of British Columbia

Vancouver, BC – The University of British Columbia has appointed of Dr David Dolphin, a finalist for this year’s Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, as acting vice-president, research.

Dr Dolphin, a UBC chemistry professor, is also vice-president, technology and development with Vancouver-based bio-pharmaceutical company QLT. He is known for his contribution to the understanding of the nitrogen-containing organic compounds named porphyrins, used in photodynamic therapy to treat cancer, eye diseases and autoimmune and cardiovascular disorders. His work led to the development of a drug for treating age-related macular degeneration, the main cause of blindness in people over the age of 50.

In addition to being a finalist for Canada’s top science prize this year, Dr Dolphin has won the Science and Engineering Gold Medal in Health Sciences, from the Science Council of British Columbia (1990), the Syntex Award of the Canadian Society of Chemistry (1993), and the Bell Canada Forum Award (1993).