Brett Finlay

Brett Finlay

Brett Finlay

Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Microbiology & Immunology

Brett Finlay, FRSC, OC, holds appointments at the Michael Smith Laboratories and in the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Microbiology & Immunology at UBC. The University recruited Dr. Finlay as an Assistant Professor in 1989 and appointed him Peter Wall Distinguished Professor in July 2002.

Dr. Finlay's areas of research interest and accomplishment include host-parasite interactions of pathogenic bacteria, especially enteric bacteria, and pioneering the use of polarized epithelial cells as models to study pathogenic bacteria penetrating through epithelial barriers. Research in his lab is focused on understanding bacterial pathogenesis from the perspective of both pathogen and host. Current projects include "Salmonella as a model intracellular pathogen" and "Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic E.coli." It was a strain of E.coli that was responsible for the deaths of six people and the illness of thousands in Walkerton, Ontario in 2000, when the area’s drinking water supply became contaminated. Dr. Finlay's research on how this strain of E. coli attaches to intestinal cells led to the development of a vaccine for cattle which will reduce the threat of future outbreaks. The bovine E.coli vaccine that he developed is being commercialized. Dr. Finlay is co-founder, VP for Research, and Chair of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of Inimex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., whose mission it is to develop new therapies for infectious diseases.

In addition to chairing the Canadian SARS Research Consortium, Dr. Finlay continues in his role as Director of the $2.6 million BC SARS Accelerated Vaccine Initiative (SAVI), whose mission since its founding in May 2003 has been to identify and develop a human SARS vaccine as rapidly as possible. The project has been immensely successful, demonstrating that rapid response research and emergency management could be applied to research problems. The team produced three vaccine candidates within six months, and within a year tests showed their efficacy in relevant animal models.

From this experimental setting, Dr. Finlay has involved himself in broadening this line of research at UBC, expanding it to the area of emerging infectious diseases generally. His interactions at the Peter Wall Institute have encouraged him to include the social sciences and humanities in forums about emerging infectious diseases research at UBC. He also is the lead investigator on several emerging infectious diseases grants that include many UBC investigators. He has begun work on his new Gates Foundation grant (Gates Grand Challenge) for the project "Novel Therapeutics that Boost Innate Immunity to Treat Infectious Diseases" and a Genome BC grant. He has further been awarded a Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) grant.

Dr. Finlay is an active participant in Institute functions and meets regularly with the various Associates and Scholars in Residence. His recently established Wall Woodwind Quintet is made up of Institute Faculty Associates. He has worked very closely with Director, Dianne Newell and the Peter Wall Advisory Committee, which he c0-chairs, regarding various aspects of Institute programming. He represented the Institute at many national and international talks and meetings. He also continues to win prestigious prizes and awards, including the 2005 Jacob Biely Faculty Research Prize, the most select and prestigious research prize offered by UBC, the 2006 Flavelle Medal of the Royal Society of Canada for outstanding contribution of biological science, and Canada’s most important research prize, the Canada Council's 2006 Killam Prize for outstanding career achievement in the category of Health Sciences. The Institute held a gala in his honour for the Killam Award and presented him with a cash award to match the Killam Prize. Dr. Finlay was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006, and the Order of British Columbia in 2007, and received the 2009 Canadian Society for Microbiology (CSM), Canadian Society of Microbiologists Roche Diagnostics Award, for national recognition to outstanding Canadian Microbiologists.  He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal on April 11, 2012.

Under the memoranda of understanding with our Partner Institute, the Collège de France, Dr. Finlay was appointed a Chair d'État Collège de France, May, 2011.  While at the Collège de France he also co-directed the Wall Colloquium Abroad 'Commensal Microbiota: From Homeostasis to Disease'.

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