GAIRDNER FOUNDATION APPOINTS CANADIAN DR. MORAG PARK AS PRESIDENT AND SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR

After a rigorous global search process, we are pleased to announce that a renowned cancer scientist and global research leader will succeed Dr. Janet Rossant in leading one of the world's most prestigious biomedical prize foundations.

TORONTO, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum, Chair of the Gairdner Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Morag Park CQ PhD FRSC FCAHS, as its new President and Scientific Director as of June 1, 2026. Dr. Park succeeds Dr. Janet Rossant, who led the Foundation with great distinction for a decade and whose tenure concluded end of May 2026.

Dr. Park is an internationally recognized cancer researcher and scientific leader whose work has transformed the understanding of breast cancer and significantly advanced the field of precision oncology. Her pioneering research on the MET receptor, a key driver of tumour growth and metastasis, helped lay the foundation for targeted cancer therapies used around the world today. Dr. Park is a distinguished James McGill Professor and held the Diane and Sal Guerrera Chair in Cancer Genetics at McGill University's Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec, inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2026 in recognition of her accomplishments and impact.

Beyond her scientific discoveries, Dr. Park has played a leading role in shaping Canada's research ecosystem. As Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (2008–2013), she spearheaded national initiatives in personalized medicine and cancer prevention. As co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance — comprising more than 30 funding agencies — she led the development of Canada's first Pan-Canadian Cancer Research Strategic Plan. Dr. Park has built and led research programs that have shaped the cancer research landscape in Canada and beyond.

As President and Scientific Director, Dr. Park will lead the Foundation's internationally recognized awards program and educational outreach initiatives. These advance the Foundation's role in recognizing transformative discoveries, inspiring future generations, and strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in science and innovation. Dr. Park assumes leadership at a time of growing momentum for the Foundation, as it expands its reach, partnerships, and impact both across Canada and around the world.

"The Gairdner Foundation exists to find the science that will matter most to human health, and to inspire the next generation of scientists to pursue it. That mission has never felt more urgent. I am honoured to lead an organization with this extraordinary reach and an important record of recognizing excellence before the rest of the world does."

- Dr. Morag Park, incoming President and Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation

"I am delighted to welcome Dr. Morag Park as my successor as President and Scientific Director of the Gairdner Foundation. A distinguished scientist and inspiring leader, Morag combines exceptional vision, energy, and dedication to excellence. Under her leadership, I am confident that Gairdner will continue to strengthen its impact and reach new heights in the years ahead."

-Dr. Janet Rossant, PhD, FRS, FRSC, President & Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation (2016-2026)

"Dr Morag Park is exactly the scientific leader to best serve the Gairdner Foundation at this moment. Her research record speaks for itself – but it is her rigorous standards and her ability to support scientists and build the systems that allow great science to flourish, that make her appointment so very exciting."

-Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum PhD, OC, OQ, FRSC, Chair, Gairdner Foundation

"The appointment of Dr. Park, an exemplary science leader and scientist, assures the continued recognition of excellence by the Canada Gairdner Awards."

-Dr. Philip Sharp, Institute Professor and Professor of Biology Emeritus; Intramural Faculty, Koch Institute, MIT, Canada Gairdner International Award (1986), Nobel Prize, Physiology or Medicine (1993)

About the Gairdner Foundation

The Gairdner Foundation is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and celebrating international excellence in biomedical research and global health. Established in 1957, the Gairdner Foundation is among the world's most distinguished biomedical research prize organizations. Since its founding, 443 awards have been bestowed on scientists from more than 40 countries. 103 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes.

About Morag Park

Morag Park received a BSc with first class honours from the University of Glasgow, a PhD at the Medical Research Council Virology Institute in Scotland and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes for Cancer Research in Washington DC. She is a recipient of a Canadian Cancer Research Alliance Award (2015) for Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Research, the Canadian Cancer Society Robert L. Noble Prize (2017), the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation Grand Prix Scientifique (2019), and the Club de Recherches Cliniques du Québec Michel Sarrazin Award (2021).

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SOURCE Gairdner Foundation