Text SizeDr. John Challis
Dr. John R.G. Challis is President and CEO at the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. Dr. Challis took up the appointment on July 1, 2008.
A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Dr. Challis received his undergraduate education at the University of Nottingham and PhD from the University of Cambridge. He conducted post-doctoral work at the University of California, San Diego and at Harvard Medical School before returning to the University of Oxford as a research scientist in 1974. He came to Canada in 1976 as a faculty member at McGill University and joined the faculty at the University of Western Ontario two years later. Dr. Challis served as founding Scientific Director of the Lawson Research Institute at St. Joseph's Health Centre and as the Centre's vice-president (research).
He joined the University of Toronto as Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology in 1995. In 2001, he was appointed as the founding Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health. Dr. Challis served as Vice-President, Research and Associate Provost at the University of Toronto, between 2003 and 2007.
An internationally-recognized researcher in the fields of physiology, obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Challis’ specific areas of research interest include hormone mechanisms during pregnancy, fetal and placental endocrinology and the influence of intrauterine development on disease after birth. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and was recently elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He has published more than 500 scientific papers and articles, trained more than 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and has served as President of several professional associations in his field of research.
In December 2008, the University of Toronto honoured Dr. Challis with the title of University Professor, recognizing his achievements in the field of reproductive medicine. In March 2009, Dr. Challis received the President’s Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI). This award is made annually to a senior member of the society who has made significant and lasting contributions to the society and to scientific research in reproductive medicine. In September 2009, Dr. Challis was inducted as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.