The inaugural Albert Aguayo Lecture
The Legacy of Grandfather Aguayo and our Responsibility to Advance
delivered by The Honourable Michael H. Wilson, Former Canadian Ambassador to the United States.
This lecture was established to recognize the achievements of Dr. Albert Aguayo, Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and founder and former Director of the Centre for Research in Neuroscience at McGill University. An outstanding scientist, Dr. Aguayo made a fundamental breakthrough in our understanding of the nervous system when he demonstrated that damaged nerve cells in the mammalian brain do not die immediately and can regenerate under some conditions. This finding completely changed one of the most basic paradigms in neuroscience and generated a stream of promising research on regeneration in the nervous system. Throughout his career and during his term as President of the International Brain Research Organization, Dr. Aguayo has been a dedicated advocate for the education of students in neuroscience around the world. For his many accomplishments, Dr. Aguayo has been recognized with highly prestigious honors, including the Gairdner Award, the Killam Award, the Order of Canada and membership in the Royal Society of Canada.
Michael Wilson, a friend of Dr. Aguayo and a champion of neuroscience, had a distinguished career in public life and served as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States from 2006-2009. He entered the House of Commons in 1979, serving as Minister of Finance and Minister of International Trade before leaving elected office in 1993. Mr. Wilson is known as a prominent Bay Street investment executive and an outspoken and tireless advocate on mental health issues. His leadership has had a significant impact on the NeuroScience Canada Partnership, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships and the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance.
A reception will follow the lecture.
RSVP: debbie.rashcovsky [at] mcgill.ca or 514-398-6047.