Dr. Tony Pawson was one of the founding scientists of what is now known as the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI). He joined the molecular and developmental biology division as a senior researcher in 1985 and ran the Pawson Lab at the LTRI until his death in 2013.
Authoring more than 450 scientific papers, he is among the world’s most frequently cited scientists in biomedical research. In 2008, he won the prestigious Kyoto Prize, “Japan’s Nobel”, for his work on cellular communication.
Dr. Pawson’s legacy lies in the discovery of signal transduction: the process by which cells communicate with one another. Scientists had long known that cells communicated, but no one knew the exact cellular mechanism involved. This was until Dr. Pawson and his team at the LTRI identified that a key piece of a cellular protein, known as the SH2 domain, could send messages to other cells, controlling their behaviour. When the messaging system broke down it could cause instructions to get scrambled resulting in harmful cell division and diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery confirmed the previously held notion that when cells failed to communicate properly, disease would follow. Considered a titan in cancer research, the Pawson Lab opened a new field of study into the causes and effects of breakdowns in cellular communication. Though the Pawson Lab's worked with a specific group of proteins, other types of cells were later discovered to communicate in the same way.
His contributions continue to impact the lives of patients whose treatments would not have been possible without Dr. Pawson’s foundational work.
Authoring more than 450 scientific papers, he is among the world’s most frequently cited scientists in biomedical research. In 2008, he won the prestigious Kyoto Prize, “Japan’s Nobel”, for his work on cellular communication.
Dr. Pawson’s legacy lies in the discovery of signal transduction: the process by which cells communicate with one another. Scientists had long known that cells communicated, but no one knew the exact cellular mechanism involved. This was until Dr. Pawson and his team at the LTRI identified that a key piece of a cellular protein, known as the SH2 domain, could send messages to other cells, controlling their behaviour. When the messaging system broke down it could cause instructions to get scrambled resulting in harmful cell division and diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery confirmed the previously held notion that when cells failed to communicate properly, disease would follow. Considered a titan in cancer research, the Pawson Lab opened a new field of study into the causes and effects of breakdowns in cellular communication. Though the Pawson Lab's worked with a specific group of proteins, other types of cells were later discovered to communicate in the same way.
His contributions continue to impact the lives of patients whose treatments would not have been possible without Dr. Pawson’s foundational work.
Authoring more than 450 scientific papers, he is among the world’s most frequently cited scientists in biomedical research. In 2008, he won the prestigious Kyoto Prize, “Japan’s Nobel”, for his work on cellular communication.
Dr. Pawson’s legacy lies in the discovery of signal transduction: the process by which cells communicate with one another. Scientists had long known that cells communicated, but no one knew the exact cellular mechanism involved. This was until Dr. Pawson and his team at the LTRI identified that a key piece of a cellular protein, known as the SH2 domain, could send messages to other cells, controlling their behaviour. When the messaging system broke down it could cause instructions to get scrambled resulting in harmful cell division and diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s disease. This discovery confirmed the previously held notion that when cells failed to communicate properly, disease would follow. Considered a titan in cancer research, the Pawson Lab opened a new field of study into the causes and effects of breakdowns in cellular communication. Though the Pawson Lab's worked with a specific group of proteins, other types of cells were later discovered to communicate in the same way.
His contributions continue to impact the lives of patients whose treatments would not have been possible without Dr. Pawson’s foundational work.
The process of scientific discovery is rather like exploring for new continents in the age of sailing ships. There are long periods at sea, with not much happening. It is that moment of first seeing the land in the distance, of first realizing that one has a thread of evidence for a new way of looking at the world, that provides the most excitement.
Dr. Tony Pawson
About Mount Sinai 100 Chairs
In 2023, Mount Sinai Hospital will mark its 100th anniversary. To honour the physicians and scientists who have made breakthrough discoveries and whose achievements have elevated Sinai Health’s reputation for world-class care, we are pleased to introduce our Mount Sinai 100 Chairs. These legacy chairs carry the names of Sinai Health’s most eminent trailblazers and will help recruit and fund the work of a new generation of clinicians and scientists, securing the next century of caring at Sinai Health. We invite you to help us imagine the next 100 years.
About Mount Sinai 100 Chairs
In 2023, Mount Sinai Hospital will mark its 100th anniversary. To honour the physicians and scientists who have made breakthrough discoveries and whose achievements have elevated Sinai Health’s reputation for world-class care, we are pleased to introduce our Mount Sinai 100 Chairs. These legacy chairs carry the names of Sinai Health’s most eminent trailblazers and will help recruit and fund the work of a new generation of clinicians and scientists, securing the next century of caring at Sinai Health. We invite you to help us imagine the next 100 years.
About Mount Sinai 100 Chairs
In 2023, Mount Sinai Hospital will mark its 100th anniversary. To honour the physicians and scientists who have made breakthrough discoveries and whose achievements have elevated Sinai Health’s reputation for world-class care, we are pleased to introduce our Mount Sinai 100 Chairs. These legacy chairs carry the names of Sinai Health’s most eminent trailblazers and will help recruit and fund the work of a new generation of clinicians and scientists, securing the next century of caring at Sinai Health. We invite you to help us imagine the next 100 years.
