2009-12-08
This morning, Dr. Connie Eaves of
the BC Cancer Agency at the University
of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada,
will receive the 2009 Henry M. Stratton Medal. This award honors an individual
whose contributions to the field of hematology are well recognized and have
taken place over several years. Dr. Eaves is receiving this prize for her
remarkable achievements in the area of stem cell biology over the last two
decades. She is currently the vice president for research at the BC Cancer
Agency, director of the Terry Fox Laboratory, and professor of medical genetics
at the University
of British Columbia.
When asked how she felt about
receiving this honorific award, Dr. Eaves said, “It was overwhelming to learn
that I had been selected for this award, as I had no idea that I was being
considered. The most important outcome has been the tremendous recognition it
has given to all the people I have had the privilege to work with, both as
trainees and colleagues.”
Dr. Eaves has adapted and
introduced numerous technologies related to stem cell biology, especially her
groundbreaking techniques of using long-term culture systems as a means of
understanding the proliferative and renewal properties of normal and malignant
primitive human hematopoietic stem cells. Her interest in stem cells developed
early in her career. As an undergraduate student, she was attracted to stem
cells because it was clear that the progeny of such cells made lineage
commitments that affected how normal tissues would develop and be sustained.
“What was cool was that it seemed like some of the best minds were trying to
figure out how [stem cells] worked — and some of these minds were in Canada.”
Today Dr. Eaves especially enjoys
the opportunity to train students and fellows, saying that she regards such
personal interactions and mentorship as her top priority. She feels that her
biggest accomplishment has been and remains “inspiring a large cadre of
excellent trainees with the confidence that they can go on to make major
contributions to humanity through their continued pursuit of scientific
research in a variety of settings.”
Part of what Dr. Eaves loves about her work is its variety.
“I don’t have a typical work week. That’s part of the fun.” Currently, her work
is focused on primitive hematopoietic stem cells and their ability to
regenerate all myeloid and lymphoid lineages following transplantation into
marrow-ablated or suppressed recipients. One of Dr. Eaves’ goals is to define
how the proliferation and differentiation of these cells can be regulated by
extrinsic factors. Another goal is to develop new models of human disease by
administering genetically modified stem cells to mice and goats, and to develop
stem cell-based gene therapies using procedures optimized for transfecting them
at high frequency. A third initiative is focused on extending these approaches
to study human breast cancer.
The biggest challenge Dr. Eaves has
faced during her career has been maintaining continued funding, especially in
the early days when her group was small and relatively unknown. She explains
that addressing major questions and delivering viable answers often takes a
long time and sometimes “requires barking up the wrong tree.” In the future,
she hopes to use more of her time to help others advance their research efforts
by providing more administrative leadership and advice.
Dr. Eaves will be presented with the Stratton Medal
this morning at 9:30 in Hall F of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
back to top
