Dr. Andrew MacDougall and Dr. Cezar Khursigara named U of G Research Leadership Chairs

Two College of Biological Science professors, Dr. Andrew MacDougall from Integrative Biology and Dr. Cezar Khursigara from Molecular and Cellular Biology, have been named University of Guelph Research Leadership Chairs. This prestigious honour recognizes mid- to late-career researchers who have made significant contributions to their fields, both nationally and internationally, and raised the university’s reputation.

Khursigara and MacDougall will hold their titles for three years and receive $15,000 per year in research funds.

Dr. Cezar Khursigara

Since joining the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2009, Khursigara has built a reputation for his research excellence in microbiology, his leadership supporting research within his department, and his mentorship of the next generation of scholars.

Khursigara has been the director of the Molecular and Cellular Imaging Facility since 2013 and the director of the Mass Spectrometry Facility since 2017. Together with his team of researchers, he uses technology from both facilities to investigate antimicrobial resistance in bacterial biofilms and bacterial-host interactions.

His research has been recognized at both national and international levels, including with the American Society for Microbiology’s Extraordinary Service Award and the Fisher Scientific Award from the Canadian Society of Microbiologists. Khursigara is one of the top-funded researchers at the University of Guelph and one of only a few faculty members supported by two CIHR Project Grants. His research has been published in more than 65 reputable journals, including Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mBio, and Molecular and Cellular Proteomics.

Dr. Andrew MacDougall

Just as MacDougall’s research stretches across the world, considering the impact of environmental change on diverse species and ecosystems,  so has recognition for his work grown both locally and globally since he joined the University of Guelph in 2006.

MacDougall is a leader on several internationally recognized research initiatives, including the Nutrient Network, which studies how environmental change transforms grasslands around the world; Walking On Two Legs: Restoring the Health of Indigenous Peoples and Lands in a Time of Global Climate Change; and Food From Thought, which supports sustainability initiatives by Canadian farmers. His research is noted for incorporating a wide variety of voices, including researchers, community leaders and farmers.

MacDougall has trained and mentored more than 60 undergraduate and graduate students at the university, with many going on to become faculty members themselves and others finding important work in industry, conservation, government and land management. His research group’s work has been published in top journals for general, environmental and ecological science, including Nature, Science and Nature-affiliated journals, and has been cited more than 11,000 times.