Dr. John Dick, a Senior Scientist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honours for a scientist.
The NAS announced the addition of new members on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, "in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research."
Membership not only reflects extraordinary contributions to science but also entrusts inductees with shaping the future of research and policy at the highest levels.
With this recognition, Dr. Dick, known internationally as the first scientist to identify and characterize cancer stem cells, joins the membership of a scientific organization that includes an estimated 200 Nobel Prize winners.
Dr. Dick, who is also a Helga and Antonio De Gasperis Chair in Blood Cancer Stem Cell Research, a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto (U of T) and a University Professor at U of T, is focused on understanding leukemic stem cells to develop better treatments and improve the quality of life for patients with leukemia.
Dr. Dick's work also earned him an induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2024.
Dr. Dick's discovery of leukemic stem cells revealed that cancer cells are organized hierarchically, with only a small subset capable of self-renewal. This knowledge shifted research toward cancer stem cells, leading to more effective therapies targeting the cells responsible for the long-term spread of the disease.
The Manitoba-born Dr. Dick joins nearly 2700 active members in the United States and more than 500 international researchers in a membership that is considered a mark of excellence in science.
Read the full list of 120 members and 30 international members newly elected.
