By Communications Staff

Six medical professionals including Queen’s alumnus and former faculty member Adolfo de Bold will be inducted into The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame on April 24 at a ceremony hosted by Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

“It is a very special privilege to host this event and celebrate six pre-eminent Canadians,” says Richard Reznick, Dean, Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences. “It is also a wonderful opportunity for us to open the doors of our fair city to Canada’s medical heroes and more than 500 guests from across Canada.”

Dr. de Bold (MSc’72, PhD’73) is considered the “father” of the field of cardiovascular endocrinology. Best known for his transformative discovery of the cardiac hormone atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in 1981, he demonstrated that the heart is not only a pump but an endocrine organ. After earning his doctorate degree, Dr. de Bold joined the faculty ranks at Queen’s. He moved to Ottawa in 1986 where he served as the inaugural director of the research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

The other inductees include:

• Dr. Max Cynader, a world-renowned neuroscientist in the area of vision and brain development. His scientific discoveries, biotechnology companies and community outreach have led to new treatments and improved public understanding of the importance of brain health.

• The late Dr. Walter C. Mackenzie, who transformed the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine and was instrumental in the development of numerous medical and surgical programs.

• Dr. Thomas John (Jock) Murray, a world leader in multiple sclerosis and neurological research, resulting in major advances in the understanding of the disease.

• Dr. Ronald Worton, a trailblazer in disease gene discovery. He and his team discovered the causal gene for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, a seminal breakthrough that resulted in greater understanding of the disease and revolutionized diagnosis and patient care.

• Dr. Salim Yusuf, whose research has transformed the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and saved millions of lives around the world.

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, located in London, Ont., is the world’s only national hall of fame dedicated to celebrating the extraordinary contributions of medical professionals. Established in 1994, the hall of fame has since honoured 101 outstanding individuals.

More than 575 senior health care, academic and business leaders will gather at the Rogers K-Rock Centre on Thursday, April 24 to celebrate the latest inductees. More information is available on the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame website.