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Biologist Andrew Hendry and psychologist Karim Nader take two of six national fellowships

Two McGill researchers have been named as 2009 recipients of E.R.W. Steacie Memorial Fellowships. Dr. Andrew P. Hendry an associate professor with McGill’s Department of Biology and the Redpath Museum, and Dr. Karim Nader, an associate professor and Willam Dawson Chair in the Department of Psychology, will both receive the prestigious fellowships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

It is somehow appropriate that as we mark in 2009 the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s The Origin of the Species and the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, that an evolutionary expert like Andrew Hendry is recognized. Dr. Hendry heads McGill’s Hendry Lab in Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics and is a leading investigator into the interface between ecological and evolutionary processes and their influence on biodiversity. Most recently, he co-authored a much-cited study about a rarely seen pattern of "disruptive natural selection" leading to the creation of new species among the famous finches of the Galapagos Islands, originally studied by Darwin.

Karim Nader’s research group specializes in the cutting-edge areas of memory re-consolidation and motor maps in the brain. Working with rats, Nader and his colleagues challenged the century-old Memory Consolidation theory, which states that memories go through a sensitive short-term memory phase, and then -- through the production of proteins -- pass into "permanent" long-term memory in the brain. Nader and his colleagues have shown that even long-term memories must be "reactivated" to be accessed and, and as such are theoretically subject  to change or even erasure, breakthroughs which may have significant clinical implications.

"McGill is extremely proud of these two outstanding researchers," said Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations) Denis Thérien. "Their work has produced important results on crucial matters related to both the human experience and the natural world. We are grateful to NSERC for recognizing the value of this top-level research."

The NSERC Steacie Fellowships honour the memory of Dr. Edgar William Richard Steacie, an outstanding chemist and research leader who made significant contributions to the development of science in Canada during, and immediately following, World War II. Dr. Steacie believed young researchers are great national assets and should be given every opportunity to develop their own ideas. Through his philosophy, summarized below, he nurtured Canadian talent and drew many promising scientists to Canada.

Every year, NSERC awards up to six Steacie Fellowships that are held for a two-year period. Successful Fellows are relieved of teaching and administrative duties, so they can devote all their time and energy to research. The Fellowships are held at a Canadian university or affiliated research institution.

The Fellowship normally includes a contribution to the university in the amount of $90,000 per year toward the Fellow's salary. As part of the Fellowship agreement, the university is expected to fund a replacement for the Fellow’s teaching and administrative responsibilities or to enhance the research environment of the Fellow's department.

ABOUT McGILL UNIVERSITY

Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, founded in Montreal, Que., in 1821, is Canada’s leading post-secondary institution. It has two campuses, 11 faculties, 10 professional schools, 300 programs of study and more than 34,000 students. McGill attracts students from more than 160 countries around the world. Almost half of McGill students claim a first language other than English – including 6,000 francophones – with more than 6,400 international students making up almost 20 per cent of the student body.