Dr. Terry Snutch named a UBC Distinguished University Scholar

Congratulations to Dr. Terry Snutch who has been named a 2025 UBC Distinguished University Scholar!

Dr. Snutch, a professor with the Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC’s Departments of Psychiatry and Zoology, and Director of Translational Neuroscience at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, received this recognition for his significant contributions in the field of molecular neurobiology and for the discovery and development of new therapeutics to treat brain disorders.

“I am thrilled to have received this notable accolade from UBC in acknowledgement of my lab’s concerted efforts to better understand how calcium signalling drives brain physiological processes, together with our work to develop effective treatments for neurological disorders,” shares Dr. Snutch.

Dr. Snutch is one of 10 faculty members who have been named Distinguished University Scholars at UBC for 2025. The Distinguished University Scholar program recognizes faculty members who have distinguished themselves as exceptional scholars and achieved recognition as leaders in their field.

His groundbreaking discoveries, including identifying and characterizing the diverse family of calcium channels in the nervous system, have fundamentally shaped the field and led to important therapeutic targets for neurological disorders. He also helped drive the global development of Oxford Nanopore’s third-generation sequencing technology. Most recently, a calcium channel blocking drug conceived and developed by Dr. Snutch passed pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of essential tremor, the most common movement disorder worldwide.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Snutch led the creation of the Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network, which mobilized national partners to sequence the genomes of over 433,000 patient samples and helped to inform public health policy across Canada. He also holds 116 patents related to drug discovery and development, which is a testament to his exceptional innovation and impact in research.

We congratulate Dr. Snutch once more for this well-deserved recognition of his outstanding and impactful research.

 

This article was adapted from an original story published by the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.