Connie Eaves
Encyclopedia
Connie Jean Eaves, FRSC
(née
Constance Halperin; born 1944), Director and co-founder with Allen C Eaves
of Terry Fox
Laboratory (Vancouver
, Canada
), is internationally recognized for her pioneering research in basic blood stem cell biology, which led to a breakthrough in treatment for leukemia
. She is one of the world leaders in the field of hematopoietic stem cell biology. Her major contributions are the development of stem cell assays, the molecular regulation of stem cell fate decisions, and studies of leukemogensis. She also has an interest in studies in progenitor and stem cells in normal and malignant breast tissue. Her recent independent discovery of breast stem cells has been a breakthrough understanding in the field of breast cancer
.
Currently she is researching the unique properties of normal and cancerous stem cells in a variety of tissues, believed to be key in the development of definitive anti-cancer treatments, for breast cancer as well as leukemia
.
in 1964 and 1966. She then pursued doctoral training under the supervision of Dr. Laszlo Lajtha - one of the founders of modern hematology - at the Paterson Laboratories of the Christie Hospital
and Holt Radium Institute and obtained a PhD from the University of Manchester
in Great Britain in 1969.
After an additional year of post-doctoral work in radiobiology at the same lab, she returned to Canada to undertake further post-doctoral studies at the Ontario Cancer Institute
in Toronto where she worked with Dr. James Till
and Dr. Ernest McCulloch
from 1970-73.
(now the BC Cancer Agency) as its second full-time scientist and National Cancer Institute of Canada Scholar to help develop the preclinical pius-meson radiobiology
research program. At the same time she was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia
. In 1980 she became a co-founder of the Terry Fox Laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency and was appointed its Deputy Director in 1986. She became its Director in 2006. In 2008, she was also appointed Vice President Research of the BC Cancer Agency.
Throughout her training and subsequent productive scientific career she has received numerous awards and scholarships. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
in 1993 and, in 2003, she received the prestigious Robert L. Noble Prize
for Excellence in Cancer Research from the National Cancer Institute of Canada. In 2008 she was awarded the Donald Metcalf Lecture Award by the International Society for Experimental Hematology.
Her PhD studies provided the first evidence that two distinct cell populations contribute to the generation of antibody
responses, heralding the discovery soon thereafter of B and T lymphocytes. This seminal work was published in Nature in 1967. As a postdoctoral fellow, Eaves’ studies contributed to the definition of the earliest stages of the red blood cell differentiation process. Her initial work as an independent investigator followed from this, laying the groundwork for the concept of a hierarchy of progenitor classes within different lineages in the blood-forming system, whose members can be distinguished by evolving biological properties and different regulatory mechanisms. She is widely recognized as a world authority on the stem cells of the blood-forming system and their regulation in both normal and perturbed states, with a particular emphasis on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Since the early 1990’s she has extended her contributions in understanding stem cell behaviour to normal and malignant breast cells.
Over the last 25 years Eaves has played a major role in the recruitment and education of many talented undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows, particularly those with a clinical background, and has directly supervised more than 50 trainees at the post-graduate level. Many of these individuals have since become internationally recognized scientists in their own right in Canada, the U.S.
and Europe
. She remains particularly interested in the training of young investigators and continues to lead a dynamic research group at the Terry Fox Laboratory, with a publication record of more than 340 full papers including peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings and book chapters.
Eaves has also devoted much energy to the successful development of collaborative research programs locally, nationally and internationally. She is currently involved in such activities within Genome BC, the Stem Cell Network (a Canadian NCE Program for which she served as the Associate Scientific Director for 4 years), a still active NCIC Program Project (started under her leadership in 1981) and an NIH-funded Program Project in Gene Therapy
, now in its 10th year, that links investigators in Vancouver, New York
, Boston
and Chicago
.
From 1996-99 she served an elected 3-year term as a Councillor of the American Society of Hematology
and from 2000-2003 she was the elected Vice President, President-Elect and President of the International Society for Experimental Hematology. She continues to offer her services to grants panels, committees, NIH study sections and site review teams, reviews many papers each year for a variety of leading journals and has been an Associate Editor and/or member of the Editorial Board of most of the lead journals in hematology and stem cell biology including the recently started Cell Stem Cell.
Eaves is an active member of numerous national and international scientific societies and has held senior executive offices in the American Society of Hematology and the International Society for Experimental Hematology. She was one of the first Co-Chairs of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative and later served as President of the National Cancer Institute of Canada (1996-98). Dr. Eaves is a member of several editorial boards and the Associate Editor of Blood as well as the Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Constance Halperin; born 1944), Director and co-founder with Allen C Eaves
Allen C Eaves
Allen C. Eaves was the founding Director of the Terry Fox Laboratory for Hematology/Oncology Research, which over a 25 year period he grew into an internationally recognized centre for the study of leukemia and stem cell research. His own research on chronic myelogenous leukemia has led the...
of Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
Laboratory (Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), is internationally recognized for her pioneering research in basic blood stem cell biology, which led to a breakthrough in treatment for leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. She is one of the world leaders in the field of hematopoietic stem cell biology. Her major contributions are the development of stem cell assays, the molecular regulation of stem cell fate decisions, and studies of leukemogensis. She also has an interest in studies in progenitor and stem cells in normal and malignant breast tissue. Her recent independent discovery of breast stem cells has been a breakthrough understanding in the field of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.
Currently she is researching the unique properties of normal and cancerous stem cells in a variety of tissues, believed to be key in the development of definitive anti-cancer treatments, for breast cancer as well as leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
.
Education
Eaves received a BA in Biology and Chemistry and a MSc in Biology (Genetics) from Queen's UniversityQueen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in 1964 and 1966. She then pursued doctoral training under the supervision of Dr. Laszlo Lajtha - one of the founders of modern hematology - at the Paterson Laboratories of the Christie Hospital
Christie Hospital
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is located in Withington, Manchester, and is one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. The Christie became a NHS Foundation Trust in April 2007 and is also an international leader in cancer research and development, and home to the Paterson Institute...
and Holt Radium Institute and obtained a PhD from the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in Great Britain in 1969.
After an additional year of post-doctoral work in radiobiology at the same lab, she returned to Canada to undertake further post-doctoral studies at the Ontario Cancer Institute
Ontario Cancer Institute
The Ontario Cancer Institute is the research division of Princess Margaret Hospital, part of the University Health Network of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. As Canada's first dedicated cancer hospital, it opened officially and began to receive patients in 1958, although its...
in Toronto where she worked with Dr. James Till
James Till
James Edgar Till, OC, O.Ont, FRSC is a University of Toronto biophysicist, best known for demonstrating – with Ernest McCulloch – the existence of stem cells.-Early work:...
and Dr. Ernest McCulloch
Ernest McCulloch
Ernest Armstrong McCulloch, OC, O.Ont, FRSC was a University of Toronto cellular biologist, best known for demonstrating – with James Till – the existence of stem cells.-Biography:...
from 1970-73.
Career
In 1973 she was recruited to the British Columbia Cancer InstituteBC Cancer Agency
The BC Cancer Agency is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority in British Columbia, Canada.-Mission:The Agency has a three-part mission:* To reduce the incidence of cancer.* To reduce the mortality rate of people with cancer....
(now the BC Cancer Agency) as its second full-time scientist and National Cancer Institute of Canada Scholar to help develop the preclinical pius-meson radiobiology
Radiobiology
Radiobiology , as a field of clinical and basic medical sciences, originated from Leopold Freund's 1896 demonstration of the therapeutic treatment of a hairy mole using a new type of electromagnetic radiation called x-rays, which was discovered 1 year previously by the German physicist, Wilhelm...
research program. At the same time she was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. In 1980 she became a co-founder of the Terry Fox Laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency and was appointed its Deputy Director in 1986. She became its Director in 2006. In 2008, she was also appointed Vice President Research of the BC Cancer Agency.
Throughout her training and subsequent productive scientific career she has received numerous awards and scholarships. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
in 1993 and, in 2003, she received the prestigious Robert L. Noble Prize
Robert L. Noble Prize
The Robert L. Noble Prize is awarded each year by the National Cancer Institute of Canada to researchers whose contributions have led to a significant advance in cancer research...
for Excellence in Cancer Research from the National Cancer Institute of Canada. In 2008 she was awarded the Donald Metcalf Lecture Award by the International Society for Experimental Hematology.
Her PhD studies provided the first evidence that two distinct cell populations contribute to the generation of antibody
Antibody
An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...
responses, heralding the discovery soon thereafter of B and T lymphocytes. This seminal work was published in Nature in 1967. As a postdoctoral fellow, Eaves’ studies contributed to the definition of the earliest stages of the red blood cell differentiation process. Her initial work as an independent investigator followed from this, laying the groundwork for the concept of a hierarchy of progenitor classes within different lineages in the blood-forming system, whose members can be distinguished by evolving biological properties and different regulatory mechanisms. She is widely recognized as a world authority on the stem cells of the blood-forming system and their regulation in both normal and perturbed states, with a particular emphasis on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Since the early 1990’s she has extended her contributions in understanding stem cell behaviour to normal and malignant breast cells.
Over the last 25 years Eaves has played a major role in the recruitment and education of many talented undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows, particularly those with a clinical background, and has directly supervised more than 50 trainees at the post-graduate level. Many of these individuals have since become internationally recognized scientists in their own right in Canada, the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. She remains particularly interested in the training of young investigators and continues to lead a dynamic research group at the Terry Fox Laboratory, with a publication record of more than 340 full papers including peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings and book chapters.
Eaves has also devoted much energy to the successful development of collaborative research programs locally, nationally and internationally. She is currently involved in such activities within Genome BC, the Stem Cell Network (a Canadian NCE Program for which she served as the Associate Scientific Director for 4 years), a still active NCIC Program Project (started under her leadership in 1981) and an NIH-funded Program Project in Gene Therapy
Gene therapy
Gene therapy is the insertion, alteration, or removal of genes within an individual's cells and biological tissues to treat disease. It is a technique for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development...
, now in its 10th year, that links investigators in Vancouver, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
From 1996-99 she served an elected 3-year term as a Councillor of the American Society of Hematology
American Society of Hematology
The American Society of Hematology is a professional organization representing hematologists. It was founded in 1958. Its annual meeting is held in December of every year and has attracted nearly 20,000 attendees. The society publishes the medical journal Blood, one of the most cited peer-review...
and from 2000-2003 she was the elected Vice President, President-Elect and President of the International Society for Experimental Hematology. She continues to offer her services to grants panels, committees, NIH study sections and site review teams, reviews many papers each year for a variety of leading journals and has been an Associate Editor and/or member of the Editorial Board of most of the lead journals in hematology and stem cell biology including the recently started Cell Stem Cell.
Eaves is an active member of numerous national and international scientific societies and has held senior executive offices in the American Society of Hematology and the International Society for Experimental Hematology. She was one of the first Co-Chairs of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative and later served as President of the National Cancer Institute of Canada (1996-98). Dr. Eaves is a member of several editorial boards and the Associate Editor of Blood as well as the Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.