Dr. Lorne A. Babiuk

Canada Research Chair in Vaccinology and Biotechnology

Research Involves: Prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in animals; comparative analysis of human and animal viruses.
Research Relevance: Vaccine design and development.

Viruses and Vaccines: Millions of people and animals die every year from infectious diseases. The recent increase in the prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria has only increased the risk.

Vaccination has saved more lives than all other methods of controlling infectious diseases combined. Recent advances in genetics, molecular biology and immunology (the study of the way the immune system functions) have provided researchers with valuable new tools for understanding how diseases develop and progress. This, in turn, will help them develop safer and more effective vaccines.

Lorne Babiuk is a world leader in developing vaccines to prevent diseases in livestock. He and his team were the first in the world to develop a genetically engineered vaccine for animals, one that protects against a form of bovine respiratory disease. He also developed a vaccine against bovine herpes virus 1.

Awarding Babiuk this research chair will allow him to forge ahead with groundbreaking work on animal vaccines. Furthermore, because he is also an expert on comparing the makeup of human and animal viruses, his current and future work could provide important clues for developing human vaccines.

As director of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization, Babiuk has built strong bridges with pharmaceutical companies and is adept at developing the commercial potential of his research. He already holds 17 patents, with another 12 pending. This type of research is crucial to enhancing Canada's leadership in technology transfer and, more generally, to developing an innovative society.

For further information, please contact Dr. Lorne A. Babiuk using the Email contact form or by phone at 306 966-7475