2026 Canada Gairdner Awards Recognize World-Leading Scientists for Breakthrough Discoveries Advancing Human Health

Prestigious international award honors landmark discoveries in biomedical and global health research.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:35pm

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An abstract, geometric painting in soft, earthy tones of green, brown, and blue, depicting sweeping arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals that evoke the structural order and interconnected forces of the natural world, representing the groundbreaking biomedical research honored by the 2026 Canada Gairdner Awards.The 2026 Canada Gairdner Awards celebrate pioneering scientific discoveries that are transforming our understanding of human health and disease.Los Angeles Today

The Gairdner Foundation announced the nine 2026 Canada Gairdner Award laureates, honoring world-leading scientists whose pioneering biomedical and global health research has transformed our understanding of human health and disease. The award recipients were recognized for seminal discoveries or contributions in fields ranging from structural biology and protein aggregation to systems proteomics and cholera vaccine development.

Why it matters

The Canada Gairdner Awards celebrate scientific excellence and discoveries that have a profound impact on human health and wellbeing around the world. The 2026 laureates were recognized for breakthroughs that are fundamentally changing how we understand and treat diseases, from neurodegenerative disorders to infectious diseases like cholera. Their work is opening new avenues for research, drug development, and clinical care that will benefit patients globally.

The details

The 2026 Canada Gairdner International Award recipients include Wolfgang Baumeister, who developed cryo-electron tomography to visualize molecular structures inside cells; Jeffery W. Kelly, who discovered the first effective drug treatment for transthyretin amyloidosis; and a trio of scientists - John Yates, Ruedi Aebersold, and Matthias Mann - who established the foundations of modern systems proteomics. The John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award went to John Clemens and Jan Holmgren for their work on oral cholera vaccines. The Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award recognized Karen Maxwell for her research on bacterial immune systems and Aaron Phillips for his work restoring blood pressure control after spinal cord injury.

  • The Gairdner Foundation announced the 2026 Canada Gairdner Award laureates on March 31, 2026.

The players

Wolfgang Baumeister

Director Emeritus and Scientific Member, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany; Distinguished Professor, ShanghaiTech University, China.

Jeffery W. Kelly

H. Lutcher Brown Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, United States.

John R. Yates III

John Lytton Young Endowed Chair and Professor, Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, United States.

Ruedi Aebersold

Professor Emeritus, Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Matthias Mann

Director of Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.

John D. Clemens

Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director General, International Vaccine Institute, Seoul, South Korea; Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, United States.

Jan Holmgren

Senior Professor, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Karen Maxwell

Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada.

Aaron Phillips

Associate Professor, Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiac Sciences, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary; Associate Dean, Innovation and Commercialization, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.

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What they’re saying

“The discoveries recognized by the Canada Gairdner Awards this year demonstrate how fundamental research can deepen our understanding of biology and lead to advances that improve health around the world. We are proud to honour scientists who are expanding the frontiers of knowledge and shaping the future of medicine.”

— Janet Rossant, President and Scientific Director, Gairdner Foundation

“Congratulations to all the 2026 Gairdner Awards laureates! Your work demonstrates the incredible power of science and research to transform lives all around the world. I'm honoured to highlight the achievements of two Canadian researchers—Dr. Maxwell's advancements to our understanding of bacterial immune systems and Dr. Phillips' innovations to restore blood pressure control after spinal cord injury. Canada is a place where the brightest scientific minds can thrive, and the government is committed to securing Canada's place at the forefront of discovery and innovation.”

— Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, Government of Canada

“We believe in the power of science to improve health and create a better world. The Government of Canada's support for the Gairdner Foundation reflects our commitment to supporting research that will build a stronger, more resilient and healthier Canada.”

— Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, Government of Canada

“Congratulations to the 2026 Canada Gairdner laureates on receiving this international recognition for their pioneering research. Their discoveries will have a lasting impact on the health of Canadians and people around the world and inspire future generations of scientists to dream bigger and reach further.”

— Maggie Chi, Member of Parliament for Don Valley North and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, Government of Canada

What’s next

The 2026 Canada Gairdner Award recipients will be formally honored at a ceremony in Toronto, Canada in the fall of 2026.

The takeaway

The 2026 Canada Gairdner Awards highlight how fundamental scientific discoveries can lead to transformative advances in human health, from new treatments for devastating diseases to innovative technologies that improve lives globally. The laureates' pioneering work is inspiring the next generation of researchers and demonstrating the power of curiosity-driven science to address the world's most pressing challenges.