Dr. John Dirks (born August 20, 1993), MD, is a Canadian clinician-scientist famous for transforming the Gairdner Foundation International Awards into “Canada’s Nobel Prizes”. To date, this award is one of the top three most prestigious in the world for the recognition of biomedical research innovations. In 2021, the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting and Charles Best, the Canada Gairdner International Award recognized Dr. Drucker, Dr. Habener, and Dr. Holsts for their major advances in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and intestinal disorders.

Dirks was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was highly involved in sports as a child; however, due to his small stature, he never played on any high school teams. As a student, he was broadly interested in math and physics, and went on to pursue a medical degree from the University of Manitoba. He obtained his MD in 1957 and received a Fellowship in Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians in 1963. Turning his attention to research, he applied to become a post-graduate fellow under the supervision of Dr. Robert W. Berliner, a world-leading nephrologist at the National Institute of Health in the United States. Dirks would become a leading clinical researcher in his own right, holding illustrious positions as the head of the nephrology division at the Royal Victoria Hospital, the head of the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and the Dean of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Throughout Dirks’ academic career, he held senior academic administrative positions, both nationally and internationally. He also chaired the International Society of Nephrology’s Commission for Global Advancement of Nephrology (COMGAN), a major international consortium and educational-clinical outreach program in over 100 countries.

Dirks’ biggest impact to the biomedical research community is invigorating the Canada Gairdner Awards. The Gairdner Foundation was established in 1957 by James A. Gairdner, whose battle with severe arthritis led to his plight to recognize researchers who have made immense impacts on science and health. Taking the helm as the President and Scientific Director of Gairdner in1993, Dirks furthered James Gairdner’s vision by creating national educational programs, populating a Jury of the world’s top scientists to adjudicate the Gairdner Awards, and, most importantly, establishing the world’s first International Prize in Global Health. This international prize was named the John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award in his namesake. Since its inception in 2009, this award has become one of the most prestigious awards worldwide for recognizing excellence in global health research, with notable laureates such as Anthony Fauci and Satoshi Ōmura.

Dirks retired in 2016 and presently serves as the Emeritus President & Scientific Director. Throughout his career, Dirks has been honoured with many awards including the Life Sciences Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He has received Honorary Doctorates of Science from the University of Manitoba and University of Toronto. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2006 and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2012.

— Written by Stephanie Tran