Dr. Nahum Sonenberg

Dr. Nahum Sonenberg is named Canada's Health Researcher of the Year in Biomedical and Clinical Research

[ Back to main article ]

To fix something, you first have to understand how it works. The work of Dr. Nahum Sonenberg, who was recently named Canada's Health Researcher of the Year in Biomedical and Clinical Research by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, clearly demonstrates this principle.

When Dr. Sonenberg started his PhD studies in the late 1960's, there was a tremendous sense of excitement in the field of genetics.

"At that time, researchers had just deciphered the genetic code," says Dr. Sonenberg, a molecular biologist at McGill University for the past 30 years. "We realized we could in the future describe every protein that is coded in the DNA, describe how it is made, and figure out the causes of many genetic diseases."

Buoyed by this enthusiasm, he set out to learn more about how genetic information is turned into proteins, a process called translation. Specifically, he was studying a structure called the ribosome, a "machine that makes proteins" based on instructions in the genetic code. His pioneering research led to important information about how the translation process is initiated, and, conversely, how it can be blocked. By improving our understanding of how the body controls protein production, Dr. Sonenberg opened the door to new treatments for a wide range of diseases.

"For example, if a cell makes too much a specific kind of protein, such as a protein that triggers cell division, this can cause cancer," says Dr. Sonenberg. "This is just one aspect of translation control that we have been studying."

His research has led to a new drug, now being tested, that blocks the translation of a protein that is required for cell division. By blocking the protein, Dr. Sonenberg hopes to stop the progression of many different types of cancer. His work has also led to new treatment strategies for fighting viruses, such as HIV. In addition, he and his research team have made important discoveries about how the body regulates weight and how memories are formed in the brain.

"We are transforming our research on gene translation into translational research," says Dr. Sonenberg. "We are taking our research from the lab to the bedside."