The Prix Galien Canada 2011 Research Award is presented to Dr. Pieter R. Cullis, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia.

Dr. Cullis is a pioneer and recognized world leader in the field of lipids, biological membranes and liposomal drug delivery systems. He has been instrumental in the development of liposomal drugs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. His most recent research has focused on the therapeutic development of siRNA, an exciting new class of medicines, resulting in ongoing clinical trials of lipid nanoparticle-siRNA agents for the treatment of liver diseases.

Dr. Cullis is a serial entrepreneur having started several biotech companies including Inex Pharmaceuticals. More recently, he co-founded the Centre for Research and Development (CDRD), a public-private partnership designed to translate academic research into new medicines to treat human disease. Currently, Dr. Cullis is focused on establishing the British Columbia Personalized Medicine Initiative (BCPMI). He has trained many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, several of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in their own right.

Dr. Pieter Cullis completed his PhD in Physics at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1972 and then pursued postdoctoral training in biochemistry at the University of Oxford as an MRC postdoctoral fellow and at the University of Utrecht as a fellow of the European Molecular Biology Organization. He joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UBC in 1978 and was appointed professor in 1985.

About the Prix Galien
The Prix Galien is the most prestigious award in the field of Canadian pharmaceutical research and innovation. Referred to as the Nobel Prize of pharmaceutical research, it recognizes the efforts and achievements of pharmaceutical research and development.

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