Release issued 19th October 2009

Dr. Calvin Stiller, one of Robarts founders and transplantation pioneer, has been named as one of the 2010 inductees for the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

Among six individuals named to the Hall for 2010, Dr. Stiller will join 76 laureates who have previously been inducted for pushing the boundaries of knowledge to improve human health.

Dr. Calvin Stiller's magic touch as a builder pervades every phase of his career. A physician, scientist, administrator, policy innovator and entrepreneur, Dr. Stiller developed one of the most dynamic organ transplant programs in the nation and championed countless other initiatives that have enriched research enterprise in Canada. He is called a visionary with organizational genius.

Dr. Stiller was Canada's major voice in organ transplantation during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s when the field transformed from a risky experimental undertaking to a reliably successful venture. It was Dr. Stiller who, in the late 1970s, obtained the promising new drug Cyclosporine and organized its first multi-centre clinical trial in kidney transplantation in North America, creating the foundation for subsequent studies that put Canada on the world stage.

Cyclosporine remains today as the drug of choice to combat tissue rejection after transplantation. He was responsible for the controversial but groundbreaking research that showed that cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant, could halt the progression of Type 1 Diabetes - demonstrating that it was an immune disorder.

In a lifetime, an individual might be successful in creating one institution or program. Dr. Stiller has been the architect of many, including The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, Robarts Research Institute, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, MaRs, and the Stiller Centre.

From 1984 to 1996, he established and led the Multi-Organ Transplant Service (MOTS) at London Health Sciences Centre's University Hospital, the first of its kind in Canada and one of the first in the world. During this time, Dr. Stiller had a remarkable run as a crusader for organ donation and the organ donor card, and popularized, if not coined, the term "Gift of Life."

Convinced that there was a serious lack of capital available to Canadian bioscientists, he honed his idea of involving the private sector in stimulating a real Canadian-grown life sciences industry. Accordingly, he built four venture funds - the largest being Canadian Medical Discovery Fund - that served as the catalyst for biotechnology in Canada and developed early-seed investments in discoveries coming out of universities.

A recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honours, Dr. Stiller is a Member of the Order of Canada (1995) and the Order of Ontario (2000), and has received the Queen's Jubilee Award (2002). Recognized for Life Time Achievement by the Canadian Society of Transplantation (2003), he also holds three honourary doctorate degrees, including one from Western.

The 2010 inductees were selected by an independent committee of prominent leaders from Canada's medical community. "Choosing the recipients from amongst a group of highly-accomplished scientists, care providers and builders of medicine is always a difficult process," said Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and chair of the Selection Committee.

"All are worthy of our recognition and gratitude, but this year's inductees exemplify the highest degree of distinction through their contributions to Canada's enduring culture of health care excellence."

The Induction Ceremony will be held in Calgary on April 13, 2010.

(20th November 2009) Gaining a better picture of lung disease

(19th November 2009) Postovit named Premier Young Researcher

(19th November 2009) Time to ramp up health innovation

(19th November 2009) Hess named HSFC Highest-Rated New Investigator

(16th November 2009) Hachinski elected president of World Federation of Neurology