Sidney Katz, C.M.

Sidney Katz is Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He has been a member of the faculty since 1975, and from 1999 to 2011 he served in the President’s Office as Executive Director of Community Affairs, Director of Research Awareness Programs, and Managing Director of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Currently, he is on leave from UBC and is writing a book on biotechnology.

For more than 35 years, Professor Katz has promoted science education for elementary and high school children. He has played a part in developing science centres around the world, including Science World in British Columbia, the Bersheva Science Centre in Israel, and the Science Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. He also worked with David Vogt to develop the world’s first internet science magazine, The Branium. He served as the Chairman of the Education Committee of Genome British Columbia, Executive Director of Science World British Columbia and Director General and CEO of the Ontario Science Centre.

Professor Katz has had a parallel career in science journalism, having contributed over 400 items on regional and national CBC radio programs, and he was the national health science correspondent on CTV National News. In addition, he has contributed numerous science columns to newspapers, has co-produced two science film documentaries, and has served for a number of years as Vice-President of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association.

Professor Katz has won a number of awards including, the McNeil Medal for Public Awareness of Science from the Royal Society of Canada, the Michael Smith Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Sandford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute.

Professor Katz has a PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from McGill University.

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