A pioneering leader in the field of genomics
Driven by a commitment to science, and a creative approach to difficult problems, Lap-Chee Tsui has made extraordinary contributions to science through his discoveries and is a leader in developing the field of genomics both in Canada and internationally. The march to discover the cystic fibrosis gene began when he arrived at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children and applied a new technology called genetic linkage to map the gene causing cystic fibrosis to chromosome 7. His subsequent work, in collaboration with Dr. John Riordan and Dr. Francis Collins led to the identification of the mutated gene and its encoded protein which they called the "cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator". It was the first gene identified through linkage mapping, a proof-of-principle for the human genome project.