Esteemed UCalgary stem cell scientist appointed to the Order of Canada

Dr. Samuel Weiss, PhD’83, an internationally renowned stem cell neurobiologist and founder of the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute, has been appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, honouring his exceptional service and commitment to medical science. 

A professor of cell biology and anatomy at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and an inspirational member of the UCalgary community for more than four decades, Weiss is celebrated for leading transformative discoveries in neuroscience that have shifted the landscape of developmental neurobiology and neural regeneration, and revolutionized approaches to the treatment of brain disorders. He is also a member of the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute. 
 
“I am grateful for the educational and career opportunities I’ve had at the University of Calgary that have led to this recognition, and I acknowledge my past mentors, peers, students and all those I’ve collaborated with, who continue to motivate me and reinforce my love of science,” says Weiss. 

Among Weiss's most notable achievements is the 1992 discovery of neural stem cells in the adult mammalian brain and their importance in nerve cell regeneration. This monumental discovery has since opened avenues for brain repair and the understanding of brain tumours, and garnered widespread acclaim. In 2008, Weiss received the prestigious Gairdner International Award — a distinction held by no other UCalgary scientist — which recognizes major research contributions to the treatment of disease and celebrates the world’s most creative and accomplished researchers whose work is improving the health and well-being of people around the world. 

“Dr. Weiss is a tremendously accomplished scholar and leader, whose dedication has helped shape brain and mental health research at our institution,” says Dr. William Ghali, UCalgary vice-president (research). “His scientific contributions have transformed the fields of neurobiology and neural regeneration, and continue to expand our understanding of the human brain. We are thrilled to see Sam invested into the Order of Canada and congratulate him on this honour.” 

Weiss's leadership and vision were instrumental in the establishment of the Calgary Brain Institute, which would become the Hotchkiss Brain Institute in 2004 with founding programs in stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord and nerve regeneration, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, neural cell signalling and mental disorders, advanced brain imaging, robotic surgery and more.  

Weiss completed undergraduate studies in biochemistry at McGill University in 1978. Originally drawn to western Canada by a love for the Canadian Rockies, his passion for science flourished at UCalgary, where in 1983, he completed a PhD in chemistry, specializing in neurobiology. After completing post doctoral fellowships at the Centre de Pharmacologie-Endocrinologie, Montpellier, France, and the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, Weiss was appointed assistant professor and Medical Research Council of Canada Scholar at UCalgary in 1988. 
 
In his current role as Scientific Director of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR-INMHA), Weiss continues to shape the future of neuroscience in Canada with a new focus. His work with the CIHR-INMHA addresses early mental health intervention for youth, and inequities in mental health and substance-use health services.  
 
Dr. Beverly Adams, MD, vice-dean at the Cumming School of Medicine, says she is impressed by Weiss’s accomplishments and the breadth of his career: “He has truly gone from bench to bedside to policy —beginning with remarkable discovery of brain stem cells, then on to the treatment of brain tumours, and now, to his work in integrated youth services in mental health as the scientific director of the CIHR-INMHA (Canadian Institutes of Health Research-Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction).” 

Adams describes Weiss as a charismatic leader who understands the value of his team and is known to give graduate students and postdoctoral scholars the autonomy they need to thrive. 

In 2002, Weiss was awarded the Fondation IPSEN Prize in Neuronal Plasticity and later received the Canadian Federation of Biological Societies Presidents' Award in Life Sciences Research. He is a 2023 inductee of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, a testament to his discovery of the metabotropic glutamate receptor, described as “a defining moment in establishing neurogenesis research as a pathway to exploring treatments for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke, ALS, and multiple sclerosis through neurological repair.”