A physiologist, medical researcher and teacher
It was the classic case of being the right man in the right place at the right time. As a recent Honours physiology and biochemistry graduate, Dr. Charles Best was set to work with Dr. J. J. R. Macleod at The University of Toronto. Dr. Macleod presented him with the opportunity to assist Dr. Frederick Banting instead, introducing Dr. Best to a research endeavour that would go on to result in the discovery of insulin – forever changing the field of diabetes and impacting the lives of millions worldwide.
Another notable contribution of Dr. Best was his successful isolation of heparin, which proved to be an effective anti-coagulant. This work had significant clinical implications for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks, embolisms and angina.