Julia Levy Award

2025 Recipient - Nathan Magarvey, Inviand Sciences Inc

Dr Nathan Magarvey focuses on cutting edge technologies that bridges chemistry and biology through artificial intelligence to advance microbial discoveries. He has been awarded CIHR New Investigator, Ontario Early Researcher Awardee and is a two-time Canada Research Chair holder. Research focus from the Magarvey lab at McMaster University has produced publications in leading journals, patents, and spin-off companies. Work developed at the interface of chemistry and biology through use of artificial intelligence has produced techniques that revolutionised the discovery of molecules from nature.

Lecture Details

The Julia Levy Award is normally presented at the annual SCI Canada Awards Dinner, typically held in early April, where the winner will be expected to attend and deliver a short acceptance speech. The winner may be invited to present a lecture at this event and will also receive a plaque.

2024 Recipient - Prof Christine Allen, University of Toronto

Prof Christine Allen is a full professor at the University of Toronto (U of T) and an internationally recognized leader with more than 160 publications in drug formulation and development. She is a member of the Scientific Leadership Team of the Acceleration Consortium, a strategic initiative at the University of Toronto awarded $200m in funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. She has received numerous awards, and is a distinguished fellow of prestigious societies including the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

2023 Recipient - Professor Pieter R. Cullis

Professor Pieter R. Cullis of University of British Columbia will receive the Julia Levy award at the SCI Canada Awards 2023. The award recognises successful commercialisation of innovation in Canada, specifically in the field of bio-medical science and engineering.

• SCI Canada Awards 2023

2022 Recipient - Professor Helen Burt

Professor Helen Burt, of the University of British Columbia, received the Julia Levy Award in 2022. As a professor in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Helen has world-leading expertise in the design and synthesis of biologically compatible polymers and polymer drug conjugates for controlled release drug delivery systems. She served as Director of Research for Angiotech Pharmaceuticals and developed the first polymeric nanomedicine for paclitaxel – a cancer chemotherapy drug that suffers from poor solubility.