Former vice-president wins life sciences award

Dr. Martin Taylor, UVic’s former vice-president research, is the 2008 winner of LifeSciences British Columbia’s Leadership Award for his contributions to the life sciences in BC.

LifeSciences British Columbia represents the biotechnology, medical device, and greater life sciences community of BC. The awards honour individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the development and public awareness of the province’s life sciences industry.

Taylor, a geographer, served as UVic’s first vice-president research from 1998 to last September when he became founding president and CEO of Ocean Networks Canada, a not-for-profit organization created by the university to manage the UVic-based VENUS and NEPTUNE Canada ocean observatories.

During his nine years as UVic’s vice-president research, the university tripled its external research funding and solidified its stature as one of Canada’s leading research universities.
“With this award, Life Sciences British Columbia is acknowledging what we at UVic have known all along—that Martin’s tremendous vision and leadership have made, and continue to make, a huge impact on the academic research community in BC and Canada,” says UVic President David Turpin.

LifeSciences BC describes Taylor’s legacy as “the demonstrated value of interdisciplinary inquiry, which led to the creation of several institutes and departments demonstrating that philosophy.”

For example, while serving as acting vice-president research at McMaster University in 1994/95, Taylor established the Institute for Water, Environment and Health—the first and only branch of the United Nations University in Canada.

At UVic, he was instrumental in the establishment of a national proteomics platform in partnership with Genome BC and Genome Canada. The platform serves international clientele from the private sector, government and universities.