Biography – INMHA Scientific Director: Dr. Samuel Weiss
Professor, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary
Dr. Samuel Weiss is a professor in the Departments of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Physiology & Pharmacology at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. Dr. Weiss is the founder and was the inaugural Director of UCalgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute, whose mission is to translate innovative research and education into advances in neurological and mental health care.
Two major discoveries are the hallmarks of Dr. Weiss' research career. In 1985, together with Dr. Fritz Sladeczek, Dr. Weiss discovered the metabotropic glutamate receptor - now a major target for pharmaceutical research and development for neurological disease therapies. In 1992, Dr. Weiss discovered neural stem cells in the brains of adult mammals. This research has led to new approaches for brain cell replacement and repair, as well as to novel, experimental therapeutic strategies for brain cancer.
Dr. Weiss’ own explorations into the brain have changed the fields of developmental neurobiology and neural regeneration and have earned him one of the world’s most prestigious medical science awards, a Gairdner International Award. Dr. Weiss was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2009 and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2014. In 2023, Dr. Weiss was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Weiss has served as the Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA) since 2017. At CIHR-INMHA, he works with the Canadian neurosciences, mental health and addiction communities to identify research priorities, develop research funding opportunities, build partnerships, and translate research evidence into policy and practice to improve the health of Canadians and people around the world.
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