Jan 31 2012: Dr. Garth Warnock

Dr. Warnock was born in Lethbridge, Alberta where he completed high school at Picture Butte, and studies at the University of Lethbridge and the University of Alberta where he completed his residency training in surgery and developed research interests in the transplantation of pancreatic islets of Langerhans for type 1 diabetes.  He completed a Fellowship at the Nuffield Department of Surgery in Oxford, and then returned to the University of Alberta supported throughout his career by investigator awards from Alberta’s Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.  Research contributions included improvements to the separation and preservation of islets of Langerhans, definition of the critical mass of transplanted islet cells to reverse the insulin dependence, and definition of strategies to prevent auto and allo-immune injury to transplanted islets.  He performed Canada’s first human islet cell transplants, reported the first long-term success of islet cell transplantation worldwide, and co-developed the Edmonton Islet Transplant Protocol reported in 2000.  He developed clinical surgical expertise in management of pancreatic and gastrointestinal disorders and promoted undergraduate and postgraduate education programs. 

In 2001, Dr. Warnock joined the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he holds the academic rank of Woodward Professor and had served as Head of the Department of Surgery until the end of 2011.  He had also served as the Surgeon-in-Chief of the Vancouver General Hospital.

He has promoted surgery through past-presidency and executive service to the British Columbia Surgical Society, the Canadian Association of Surgical Chairs and the Canadian Association of University Surgeons.  Currently, he is president-elect of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons.  He is Co-Editor in Chief of the Canadian Journal of Surgery.  He is a founding member of the International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association and the Cell Transplant Society.

Dr. Warnock established clinical and basic studies in pancreatic islet transplantation at the Ike Barber Human Islet Laboratory at Vancouver General Hospital in 2003.  Dr. Warnock currently receives research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the International Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association to investigate prevention of immune injury to islet cells.  In 2006, Dr. Warnock developed and led the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Centre for Human Islet Transplantation and Beta Cell Regeneration.  His research was honoured with the 2005 Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons Gallie Lecture and he was co-recipient of the 2005 Governor General of Canada Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) for bringing distinction to Canada. 

In addition to his continued dedication to research, Dr. Warnock leads a strong commitment to teaching.  He also continues to provide clinical surgical care for gastrointestinal diseases, trauma and emergency surgical conditions.

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