Thank you to all of our nominees, as well as the nominators who took the time to submit nominations!
The Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award is given annually to a Centre for Blood Research (CBR) member in memory of Dr. Neil Mackenzie, a former postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Dieter Brömme’s lab. Dr. Mackenzie served as an outstanding mentor and inspired others with his enthusiasm, kindness, and selflessness.
Dr. Edward Conway (left) presenting Dr. Georgina Butler (right) with the Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award. Photo Credit: Kitty Liu
Since 2015, CBR has recognized individuals who demonstrated significant contributions and excellence in mentorship through this special award. CBR members submit a 500-word essay nominating colleagues and supervisors (excluding PIs) who inspire and empower others within the CBR community. Nominations are then reviewed by a committee of Dr. Mackenzie’s former colleagues, who have a deep understanding of Neil’s mentorship qualities. Selecting the award winner is always challenging, as there are many dedicated mentors at the CBR. This year, we received 14 nominations applauding 12 CBR mentors for making an impact in and out of the lab. These nominees were recognized and celebrated at CBR Research Day on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019. Congratulations to Dr. Georgina (George) Butler, this year’s award winner!
Upon accepting the award, George spoke of the joy of mentorship: building trust with young scientists; watching them gain confidence; encouraging them to persevere through challenges; and seeing them eventually make discoveries that “nobody else in the whole world knows”.
Thank you to all of the nominators who took the time to put together thoughtful nominations and show their appreciation for their fellow CBR mentors. CBR is truly fortunate and proud to have many members who make a difference to those around the research centre every day.
2019 Neil Mackenzie Mentorship Excellence Award Nominees:
| Amy Glenwright | Michael Sutherland |
| Amy Lee | Narges Hadjesfandiari |
| Daniel Pletzer | Nathanael Caveney |
| Georgina Butler | Peter Bell |
| Hashem Etayash | Scott Meixner |
| Marie-Soleil Smith | Tanya Bennet |
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.