On November 29 in Toronto, Dr. Gary Kobinger, a microbiologist, researcher and director of the Infectious Disease Research Centre (IDRC), professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Universit\u00e9 Laval, and a world leader in vaccine research, won, along with Dr. Qiu Xiangguo (Winnipeg), the Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation’s Principal Innovation Award for the development of a treatment, ZMappTM, for Ebola virus, a serious and often fatal disease.<\/p>\n\n
Established in 1980, the Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation, whose evaluation and selection process is modeled after the Nobel Prizes, helps build a culture of innovation and confirms Canada as a world leader in innovation, particularly by showcasing the work of outstanding Canadian innovators who are improving the lives of people at home and abroad. \n<\/p>\n\n
“This recognition confirms the reputation of excellence of the Centre de recherche du CHU de Qu\u00e9bec-Universit\u00e9 Laval (CRCHU), whose members are once again among the best. The work of our researchers, including Dr. Kobinger’s, will undoubtedly contribute to offering new therapeutic avenues to patients in the near future,” said Dr. Serge Rivest, Director of CRCHU. Dr. Kobinger was also named “Scientist of the Year” by Radio-Canada in 2015 for his contribution to the fight against the Ebola virus. \n<\/p>\n\n
“This highly prestigious Canadian recognition once again demonstrates the preponderant leadership of Universit\u00e9 Laval and its Faculty of Medicine in a cutting-edge field such as microbiology and infectious diseases. Internationally recognized, Professor Kobinger and his team, whose work helped fight Ebola, are now working on a vaccine to prevent HIV,” added Eug\u00e9nie Brouillet, Vice-Rector, Research, Creation and Innovation. \n<\/p>\n\n
The treatment, developed by Dr. Kobinger’s team in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, consists of three specific antibodies, two of which are from the IDRC. It was first administered in 2014 on humans, two American missionaries who contracted the virus in Liberia. The successful approach was shared around the world, as the World Health Organization called the raging Ebola virus outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern.” \n<\/p>\n\n