Thank you to all of our nominees, as well as the nominators who took the time to submit nominations!
The Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Award is given annually to honour the memory of Dr. Neil Mackenzie, a postdoctoral fellow formerly in Dr. Dieter Bromme’s lab. Dr. Neil Mackenzie was an excellent mentor within the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) who went above and beyond to inspire others through his positive attitude, enthusiasm, and his kindness toward his colleagues.
Drs. Fred Rosell (centre) with Dieter Bromme (L) and Ed Conway (R)
Since 2015, the CBR has presented one individual with an award in recognition of their own excellence in mentorship and the way they bring out the best in those around them. Nominations in the form of a 500-word essay are submitted for any CBR member (except PIs) who has demonstrated a commitment to mentorship. Lab members nominate colleagues and supervisors who have positively impacted them through their approachability, teaching skills, enthusiasm, friendliness, generosity, and assistance in reaching goals. Nominations are then reviewed by a committee of Dr. Neil Mackenzie’s former colleagues who understand the mentorship characteristics Neil embodied. Determining the award winner is always a difficult process given the large number of fantastic and heart-felt nominations submitted each year.
This year, we received 24 nominations praising the mentorship skills of 15 nominees within the CBR. The winner was announced at CBR Research Day on Thursday, August 16, 2018. Congratulations to Dr. Fred Rosell!
Many thanks go out to all of the nominators who took the time to craft thoughtful, reflective, and inspiring nomination essays for their colleague mentors. Thank you, as well, to all of those within the CBR who exhibit excellent qualities of mentorship in their labs and with their lab mates on a daily basis. You are truly making a difference in the lives of those around you.
2018 Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award Nominees:
| Abhinav Ajaykumar | Fred Rosell | Michael Sutherland |
| Anthony Hsieh | Heidi Wolfmeier | Michael Trimble |
| Brana Culibrk | Houra Loghmani | Peter Schubert |
| Eric (Zhongming) Chen | Liam Worrall | Scott Meixner |
| Erika Siren | Lonna Munro | Srinivas Abbina |
Dr. Neil Mackenzie was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Bromme’s lab at the CBR. Neil was a dedicated and caring mentor whose encouraging and motivating words and actions were sincerely appreciated by all those whom he touched – colleagues, friends, and students. To honour his legacy and the impact he has made on the people within and outside the Centre for Blood Research, you can make a donation to the Neil Mackenzie in Memoriam Fund (http://memorial.supporting.ubc.ca/neil-mackenzie). Your donation will support the CBR mentorship initiatives, promoting mentorship excellence throughout our research community.