Dr. Connie Eaves of UBC and the BC Cancer Agency has been awarded the Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research for her seminal contributions to understanding stem cell systems in the blood and mammary gland. This prestigious award is also one of the most lucrative honours bestowed by a Canadian university. Dr. Eaves was chosen by an international panel of experts and a UBC committee chaired by Dr. Robert McMaster, Executive Associate Dean, Research and Deborah Money, Executive Vice Dean.
The Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Prize in Cancer Research is named for a Hong Kong physician who retired to Vancouver in 1988. An obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Wei was determined in his efforts to improve outcomes for people with cancer. After his death in 2009, family and friends sought to honour his goals by donating $4.5 million to UBC’s Faculty of Medicine for a price in cancer research and a professorship in gynecologic oncology.
Congratulations, Dr. Eaves!