In Memoriam: Leo Behie, Schulich School of Engineering

Saturday June 6, 2020 was marked by the passing of Professor Emeritus Leo A. Behie of the Schulich School of Engineering, he will be greatly missed.

Dr. Behie joined the University of Calgary in 1977, and grew to be an influential figure within the institution. He was a dedicated teacher and passionate about research.

Dr. Behie used his knowledge and expertise in chemical reaction engineering to innovate in diverse areas such as energy and animal cell biotechnology. In 1990, he founded the Pharmaceutical Production Research Facility, and over the next three decades, focused a majority of his efforts in bringing together engineering and medicine by creating and optimizing bioprocesses for the production of vaccines, therapeutic proteins, and most notably, stem cells for use in therapies targeting devastating medical conditions such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

His research innovation and leadership was recognized through multiple awards, including an APEGGA Research Excellence Summit Award and an ASTech Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Technology Award. He was a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering, a Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada, and became an emeritus professor in 2015.

A memorial service will be held late summer 2020. Please contact drleobehiememorial@gmail.com to be informed of the date, time, location, and online links for video conferencing.