Award-winning scientist appointed as new Director of the Research Institute of the MUHC

Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 15:04

MONTREAL, 22 November 2006 – Dr. Arthur Porter, Director General and CEO of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos as the new Director of the Research Institute of the MUHC. Dr. Papadopoulos has an international reputation as a scientist and has a proven track record of leadership in biomedical research and administration.

As Director of the Research Institute of the MUHC, he will oversee one of Canada’s largest hospital-based research institutes with over 500 researchers and 1000 graduate and post-doctoral students. The MUHC-RI operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and clinical research. With this appointment, Dr. Papadopoulos has also been named a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, as well as Associate Executive Director for Research at the MUHC.

Dr. Papadopoulos comes to the MUHC from Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC, where he served as Associate Vice President and Director of the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization. In this role, he coordinated the research of basic science and clinical departments, strengthened existing research programs and enhanced the clinical and translational research efforts of the Georgetown Center.

A native of Greece, he received his Diploma of Pharmacy at the University of Athens, Greece and his PhD in Health and Life Sciences at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, in Paris, France. He went on to complete postdoctoral research in both France and Australia, before moving to Georgetown University in the United States. Dr. Papadopoulos’ has authored over 200 research publications and holds over 30 scientific patents. Among his awards for research excellence, Dr. Papadopoulos holds the Gold Medal Award from the City of Athens, the Sandoz Award from the Endocrine Society of Australia, and the Biotechnology Leadership Award from Georgetown University. He is a member of the National Academy of Pharmacy in France.

“I am looking forward to the challenges and rewards that lay ahead as Director of the Research Institute of the MUHC,” says Dr. Papadopoulos. “I’m committed to developing it as an international leader in biomedical research. My vision for the coming years is to bring the three pillars of the MUHC – research, health care and education – into even closer harmony in order to provide the necessary environment for a world-class academic health centre.”

“The appointment of Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos comes after an exhaustive international search,” says Dr. Porter. “He is an outstanding scientist as well as a skilled administrator. We are proud to welcome him to the MUHC and are confident that the Research Institute of the MUHC will continue to push the boundaries of health care research under his leadership.”

"Dr. Papadopoulos is an accomplished researcher in his own right and brings to this vital leadership position insight, experience and a deep commitment to advancing the highest quality medical research at McGill and affiliated hospitals,” says Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University. “Through his work at the Institute and in our Faculty of Medicine, he will work to solidify McGill's international reputation for discovery and the advancement of medical knowledge."

"We are most fortunate to have someone of Dr. Papadopoulos's abilities join us as Director of the Research Institute. He comes at a time when medical research at the MUHC, and worldwide, is expanding, bringing with it both challenges and opportunities,” says Thomas R. Burpee, Chair of the Research Institute of the MUHC Board of Directors. “I foresee a productive future under his leadership."

"As president and CEO of the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ), I was very pleased to be involved in the search process for the new director of the Research Institute of the MUHC," says Alain Beaudet, President and CEO of the FRSQ. “I am certain that Dr. Papadoupoulos will be a major asset to the team of scientific leadership of Quebec's health research network.”

Dr. Papadopoulos will continue to pursue his own research initiatives in the field of biochemistry and pharmacology/drug development. His research focuses on developing new tools and treatments for diseases related to abnormal steroid levels and altering steroid compartmentalization as a means to block disease. This research has major implications for reproduction and development, cancer, stress-related disorders, aging, brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, and infectious disease such as HIV.

Dr. Papadopoulos will be officially starting his new position on July 1, 2007. Between now and then he expects to be at the Research Institute of the MUHC on a regular basis, working on development and operational issues.

About the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

The Research Institute of the MUHC is a world-renowned biomedical and health-care hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, a university health center affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. The institute supports over 500 researchers, nearly 1000 graduate and post-doctoral students and operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients benefit directly from the latest research-based knowledge. For further details visit: www.muhc.ca/research [1].

About the McGill University Health Centre
The MUHC is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University––the Montreal Children’s, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. www.muhc.ca [2]

About McGill University
Founded in 1821, McGill University is Canada's leading research-intensive university. McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools, offering more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. There are approximately 23,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students at McGill’s two campuses in Montreal, Canada. McGill is one of two Canadian members of the American Association of Universities. For additional information please visit www.mcgill.ca [3].

For more information please contact:

Ian Popple
Communications Coordinator (research)
MUHC Public Relations and Communications
Phone: 514-843-1560
E-mail: [email protected] [4]