Vancouver Institute

Ms. Leslie Weir is the first woman to serve as Librarian and Archivist of Canada. She has played important roles in many transformative moments at the Canadian Research Knowledge Network and in research libraries and archives in Canada.

Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar has revolutionized the development of innovative mechanisms for groundwater remediation. In 2013 Canadian Geographic magazine listed her among the Ten Canadians “Changing the World” for her discovery of the “billion-year-old water” and its implications for life on other planets.

Dr. Cécile Fabre is a political philosopher whose research interests include theories of distributive and reparative justice, the philosophy of democracy, and the moral and political philosophy of cultural heritage. Her works have been published in journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, International Affairs, and the Journal of Political Philosophy.

As head of PEN Canada for over a decade, Mr. Brendan de Caires defends freedom of expression, and helps exiled writers to establish in Canada. In this capacity Mr. de Caires has edited and co-authored country studies of Mexico, Honduras, India and Guatemala. He is the author of The Winter of a Hundred Books (2010), and A Country Worth Living In (2010)

Dr. Pieter Cullis is globally known for his contributions to the field of lipid nanoparticles. His research has contributed to the development of nanomedicines employing lipid nanoparticle delivery technology leading to five clinically approved drugs for cancer therapies, gene therapies, and vaccines, including BNT162b2, the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine marketed by Pfizer/BioNTech.

Dr. Stephen Poloz is a distinguished economist with four decades of experience in financial markets, forecasting, and economic policy. He is the author of The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future (2022). Dr. Poloz was the ninth Governor of the Bank of Canada until June 2020. Prior to that appointment, he served as Chief Executive Officer at Export Development Canada.

Dr. Clare Haru Crowston’s research interests lie in the early modern history of women and gender, and of working people in early modern France. She has authored the books Credit, Fashion, Sex: Economies of Regard in Old Regime France (2013) and Fabricating Women: The Seamstresses of Old Regime France, 1675-1791 (2001); the latter was awarded the Berkshire Prize for the best first book in history by a woman in North America and the Hagley Prize in business history.

Dr. Michael Byers’s work focuses on Outer Space, Arctic sovereignty, climate change, the law of the sea, the laws of war, and Canadian foreign and defence policy. Dr. Aaron Boley seeks to put the solar system in context with the many other planetary systems we know exist. His research seeks to answer the question of whether there is life elsewhere in the galaxy.

Dr. Jessica Grahn was the first researcher to establish the neural link between hearing musical rhythm and spontaneous activation of the brain’s motor control system by asking the question why do humans move to rhythm? Currently, Dr. Grahn hopes to advance her work in cross-species comparisons to guide training interventions for Parkinson’s patients.

Dr. Barbara Perry has written extensively about inequality, justice and the motivations behind hate crimes. Her publications include Silent Victims: Hate Crime Against Native Americans (2008), Policing Race and Place: Under- and Over-policing in Indian Country (2009), Hate Crimes (2009), Diversity, Crime and Justice in Canada (2011) and Right-wing Extremism in Canada (co-authored 2019).

Mr. Don Gillmor’s prolific production includes the two-volume Canada: A People’s History (2002) that appeared as a companion to the CBC series of that name, and his first novel, the critically acclaimed Kanata (2009). He has won eleven National Magazine awards as well as two Governor General’s awards.

Mr. John Doyle has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs to talk about popular culture, television, soccer, and Ireland. His essays have appeared in the Review section of the G&M since 1997, as well as the journal TV Quarterly. His writing has also appeared in Report on Business magazine, Elle Canada, Flare, En Route, Books in Canada, The Irish Times, and the Toronto Star.