Dr. Michael Smith
Michael Smith | Photo by Martin Dee and provided by UBC Archives.
Dr. Michael Smith (1932-2000), Nobel Prize Laureate, will be remembered as a great humanitarian who was passionate about research and science. He received his PhD in 1956 from the University of Manchester and then undertook his post-doctoral studies in Gobind Khorana’s Laboratory at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada.
In 1993, Smith received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on site-directed mutagenesis, a technique where a specific DNA sequence can be altered in a targeted manner. As a true humanitarian, he donated half of the Nobel Prize money to Science World British Columbia and to the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST). The other half was given to researchers working on the genetics of schizophrenia, a widespread mental disorder for which research money was scarce.
Michael Smith was a distinguished and creative scientist, a humble man known for his humanity. He gave generously to the people of Canada and the world, using his time and energy to reach out to audiences with his message about the importance of science to everyone’s life. Smith was a natural leader who made the journey from humble beginnings to scientific greatness, without losing touch with his roots. Smith’s legacy lives on through BC’s biotechnology industries, research institutes and centres (such as Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre), and funding organizations (such as Genome British Columbia, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research).
Watch the Legacy Video
This video was created and funded by Genome British Columbia and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, with support from the Michael Smith Laboratories.
