Behie joins Royal Society

At a ceremony in Ottawa, Leo Behie, Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, was formally inducted as a Fellow in the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada. Election to this society is the highest academic honour in Canada for scientists and scholars and it places him amongst Canada’s academic elite.

Behie is known around the world for his expertise on human stem cells and research into cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and spinal cord pain. He is the founding Director of the Pharmaceutical Production Research Facility (PPRF) at the University of Calgary. Behie and his colleagues recently developed protocols for producing clinical quantities of human neural stem cells in computer-controlled bioreactors, a critical step leading to clinical trials in stem cell therapy.

“Biomedical engineering has rapidly become a strong bridge between engineering and medical researchers, enabling powerful collaborations,” explained Behie. “The bottom line is that we now have the biomedical teams necessary to find new treatments for incurable diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.”

The work of Leo Behie is helping the University of Calgary build upon its strengths to become a world leader in biomedical engineering. Election to the Royal Society of Canada recognizes Behie’s national and international contributions and outstanding scholarly and scientific achievements.

“The RSC is committed to engaging our leading scholars in an increasing number of activities and programs designed to inspire students to pursue their academic dreams and support them in so doing,” said Yvan Guindon, President of the Royal Society of Canada.

Behie has received several awards of excellence including the ASTech Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Technology Award in 1998 and in 2002 the University of Western Ontario Professional Achievement Award recognizing “superior achievements by alumni in their chosen field”.

“I hope my work, when done, has made a significant difference in making this world a better place,” said Behie, adding that election to the RSC is a huge and humbling honour for him.

Behie studied at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Cambridge, England. His many publications demonstrate his expertise in chemical engineering and chemical reaction engineering with applications outside the medical realm in areas such as the heavy oil upgrading.