Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
March 17, 2005
OVC Professor Wins Top Research Award
A University of Guelph pathobiology professor is this year’s recipient of the Roche Diagnostics/CSM Award, considered one of Canada’s premier microbiology science prizes.
Carlton Gyles, a bacteriologist and interim dean of the Ontario Veterinary College, has received the honour from the Canadian Society for Microbiologists (CSM). The award, which is in its 51st year, recognizes lifetime achievement and is the society’s most prestigious accolade. It’s sponsored by Roche Diagnostics.
“It really was a complete surprise to me because I didn’t know I’d been nominated,” said Gyles, who will give a lecture and be presented with the award at the annual CSM meeting in June.
“It’s an honour, and it’s good for the Ontario Veterinary College,” he said. “Whatever successes any researcher achieves, those successes have a high component of input from others — graduate students, colleagues, collaborators. You like to think you had some ideas that contributed as well, but research is a team activity.”
Gyles, a U of G professor for 36 years, was recognized for his contributions internationally to E. coli research. He is credited for providing the fundamental basis for recent developments in the field.
His work focuses on controlling the risk of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination through food, water and human contact with animals. He collaborates with Health Canada on research, was frequently consulted by the media and health agencies during the Walkerton outbreak, and is a founding member of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety.
Gyles is also active in researching the role of verotoxins in disease and new rapid methods for the detection of bacterial food-borne pathogens. He is an honorary Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists and a member of the editorial boards of the journals Veterinary Microbiology and Advances in Veterinary Science.
A graduate of OVC, Gyles received his DVM in 1964, his M.Sc. in 1966 and his PhD in 1968.
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