McGill researcher short-listed for Herzberg Gold Medal

Biologist named as finalist for Canada's most prestigious science prize

McGill University's Dr. Graham Bell, James McGill Professor of Biology, has been named one of three finalists for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's (NSERC) Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal.

Dr. Bell, an internationally renowned evolutionary biologist, is a pioneer in the use of experimental methods to study the evolution of microbial populations in real time. His work has led to a deeper understanding of the repeatability of evolution, the control of diversity and specialization, and the significance of sex and gender. His latest work is aimed at predicting whether and how populations will adapt to global change.

"To be among the finalists for the Herzberg Gold Medal is a spectacular recognition of the quality and impact of Graham Bell's research," said Denis Thérien, Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations). "We need researchers like Professor Bell whose investigations inform, on an international scale, the global change debate."

Dr. Bell is a Founding President of the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution. He has garnered numerous awards including the Prix Léo Parizeau de l'Association francophone pour le savoir (ACFAS), and the Prix Marie-Victorin (Prix du Québec). He was Director of the Redpath Museum at McGill from 1995-2005, and is an Honorary Fellow of St Peter's College, Oxford.

Named for Canadian Nobel laureate Gerhard Herzberg, the annual prize is widely recognized as the country's most prestigious science award. The Medal, which will increase the winner's research funding to $1-million over the next five years, will be awarded at a ceremony in Ottawa on March 17.

NSERC is a federal agency dedicated to investing in people, discovery and innovation for the befit of all Canadians. The agency supports university students and postdoctoral fellows, promotes discovery by funding university professors and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in university research projects.

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Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada