Nobel Prize

Known as the “godfather of AI,” the University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the �ؿ�ζSM shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University for groundbreaking work that laid the foundation for machine learning using artificial neural networks.

At U of T, students, faculty and staff gathered at an event hosted by the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, which Hinton joined as a professor in 1987.

Those in attendance described a revered and beloved figure, citing Hinton’s determination, playful approach to research and excitement for new ideas.

"I really don’t think there’s anyone more deserving of this recognition," said Chris Maddison, assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences, and one of Hinton’s former students.

"Geoff was a fantastic adviser. He worked really, really hard to remove the barriers for his students and he was laser focused on ideas and building his own understanding."

Hinton also received congratulations from universities and other research organizations around the world, including the Royal Society, the Alan Turing Institute and Cambridge University, Hinton’s alma mater.

Meanwhile, friends, colleagues and leaders in politics and business took to social media to express their congratulations for Hinton’s remarkable achievement.

Here’s a snapshot of what some of them said:

From left: Melanie Woodin, Chris Maddison, Nick Frosst, Kevin Swersky and Eyal de Lara (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“I would say his approach to science has stuck with me. Everything I know about how to do science, I mostly learned from him. It's his curiosity and playfulness ... that has been most impactful. I would also say his thoughtfulness, thinking about the consequence of the technology and how it affects society is something that we have taken seriously at Cohere as well.”

– Nick Frosst, U of T alumnus and co-founder of Cohere

“You always knew when Geoff had a new idea. The excitement, the joy radiated out of his office down the hall. The air was buzzing with possibility. He was famous for bursting into a room and pronouncing that, he now finally, after all these years, understood how the brain worked. Above all, he understood that research was a human endeavor. Research is really hard. It becomes personal. It's intertwined with tragedies and compromises. I saw him go through some of his own when I was a student in the group, and I went through my own. I remember when I was going through some health challenges, I went to him and I said, 'Geoff, sometimes it's really hard to go on.’ And he looked at me and he said, ’But we're not going to let that slow us down, will we?’"

– Chris Maddison, assistant professor in U of T’s departments of computer science and statistical sciences, Faculty of Arts & Science

U of T is the only computer science department with a Nobel Prize winner, says Professor Michael Brudno (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate an award for somebody who has made huge contributions – obviously in AI broadly, [and] to this department. No other computer science department can say that they have a Nobel Laureate. But I think beyond that, it really goes back to show how the birthplace of modern AI is Toronto, how this is the place where it all started and how it's upon us as the AI faculty in this department to continue this legacy.”

– Michael Brudno, professor in U of T’s department of computer science, acting vice-dean, graduate education in Faculty of Arts & Science, a chief data scientist at University Health Network and a faculty member at the Vector Institute

“I was the first to call Geoff Hinton “Godfather of Deep Learning,” which later became “Godfather of AI.” Thrilled to see him win the Nobel prize together with John Hopfield for AI. Congrats @geoffreyhinton.”

– Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera, founder GoogleBrain, former chief scientist at Baidu

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Geoffrey Hinton at a 2019 event (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

“Dr. Hinton is a stalwart in his field. Celebrated as one of the ‘Godfathers of AI’, he brings decades of leading expertise in AI research as a Professor Emeritus at the �ؿ�ζSM’s Department of Computer Science, and the current Chief Scientific Advisor at the Vector Institute in Toronto – one of our three national AI institutes. Dr. Hinton is also an outspoken advocate for the responsible development and adoption of AI, educating the world about the benefits and challenges this technology poses.

“Canada is at the forefront of AI technology thanks to trailblazers like Dr. Hinton. His curiosity for discovery and contributions to innovation will inspire generations to come. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate him on his remarkable achievement.”

– Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

"@HopfieldJohn and @geoffreyhinton, along with collaborators, have created a beautiful and insightful bridge between physics and AI. They invented neural networks that were not only inspired by the brain, but also by central notions in physics such as energy, temperature, system dynamics, energy barriers, the role of randomness and noise, connecting the local properties, e.g., of atoms or neurons, to global ones like entropy and attractors. And they went beyond the physics to show how these ideas could give rise to memory, learning and generative models; concepts which are still at the forefront of modern AI research. Their ideas inspired me so profoundly that I decided to choose learning in neural networks for my own research as a graduate student. They motivated me to look for abstract principles that could be as simple as the laws of physics, but could explain biological as well as artificial intelligence. I'm truly delighted for them and for our field."

– Yoshua Bengio, professor at Université de Montréal and co-winner of the A.M Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun

“It was the first thing I saw in the morning. I opened my phone, and it was the headline of The New York Times and I was like, ‘Yes!’ I was very excited. I saw his perseverance – he always goes with what he believes, not what the flow is – and it's quite inspirational for me. That’s what I look for, especially in the health care area. I want to do something meaningful, something big.”

–Tina Behrouzi, second year PhD student in U of T’s department of computer science

Geoffrey Hinton poses with graduate students Ilya Sutskever, left, and Alex Krizhevsky, right, in 2013 (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Congratulations to @geoffreyhinton for winning the Nobel Prize in physics!!”

– Ilya Sutskever, U of T alumnus, co-founder of OpenAI and co-founder and chief scientist at Safe Superintelligence

“Going to Geoff’s office was always fun. Normally when you go to a supervisor's office, you give them a progress update. You go through what your latest results are, you talk about a couple of your ideas and you get some feedback. Going to Geoff’s office was a completely different story. He would be telling you what his latest idea was. He would show you his latest results. And his whole thing was just that he was really excited about it, and his hope was to inspire you enough to start running with it.”

– Kevin Swersky, U of T alumnus and research scientist at Google DeepMind

“[Hinton's] pioneering research at the �ؿ�ζSM not only revolutionized the field of AI but has also been instrumental in establishing Canada as a global powerhouse in AI research and innovation."

– Tony Gaffney, president and CEO of the Vector Institute

Fei-Fei Li and Geoffrey Hinton speak at a 2023 event in Toronto (photo by Polina Teif)

“This is beyond exciting! #AI’s far reaching impact is just beginning.”

– Fei-Fei Li, professor of computer science at Stanford University and co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute

“Congratulations to @geoffreyhinton, University Professor Emeritus at@UofT, on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics! Widely regarded as the “godfather of AI,” Hinton’s pioneering work in artificial neural networks has transformed the global AI landscape. Dr. Hinton’s achievement highlights the best of #Ontario’s world-class talent and thriving AI ecosystem, driving innovation and shaping the future of critical #technology!

– Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade

"On behalf of the Department and the University, we are very proud to acknowledge Geoff's global achievements and this international recognition. His contributions to machine learning and artificial intelligence have benefited virtually every discipline in science, engineering, social sciences and medicine. As we celebrate the department’s 60th anniversary, this award embodies six decades of impact and innovation in computer science and technology.”

– Eyal de Lara, professor and chair of U of T’s department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science

“Heartfelt congratulations to Geoff Hinton @geoffreyhinton on winning the Nobel Prize! What an incredible honor! I feel deeply privileged to have had the opportunity to be your PhD student, work with you, and learn from you.”

– Russ Salakhutdinov, professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University

Hinton approached his research with an “almost childlike playfulness,” says Graduate student Ujan Sen (photo by Johnny Guatto)

“Waking up today, seeing that news, just motivates me even more and reaffirms the decision that coming to U of T was the absolutely the best decision I could have taken. I think one of the people who had previously worked with him mentioned something along the lines of: Geoff didn't really care too much about pedigree. He cared about ideas, regardless if you have a master's or PhD. And the way he approached his research and the almost childlike playfulness and innocence he had with sort of getting to the answer is something that I really resonate with.”

– Ujan Sen, master’s student in U of T’s department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science

"I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Geoffrey Hinton on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics. His groundbreaking work in machine learning has made Canada world-renowned in the field of AI. He is a true inspiration for the next generation of Canadian researchers!"

– François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry

“I’m originally a chemist. It was a surprising thing for me that a Nobel Prize is being awarded to a computer scientist. This is a big moment for computer science. I think it will bring recognition to physics-based approaches and core thinking.

“I think it’s great that some universities like U of T are willing to believe in crazy ideas. People need to encourage outside-the-box thinking.”

– Ella Rajaonson, PhD student in the Matter Lab with U of T professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik

“Congratulations!”

– Olivia Chow, mayor of Toronto

Geoffrey Hinton wins Nobel Prize in Physics

davidlee1 — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 19:35:09 +0000

Geoffrey Hinton wins Nobel Prize in Physics

davidlee1 Tue, 10/08/2024 - 15:35

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto/�ؿ�ζSM)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Global Lens

Artificial Intelligence

Computer Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

Geoffrey Hinton

Nobel Prize

Physics

Research & Innovation

Subheadline

A U of T University Professor Emeritus, Hinton shared the honour with Princeton University's John J. Hopfield for discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks

Geoffrey Hinton, a University Professor Emeritus of computer science at the �ؿ�ζSM, has won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Widely regarded as the “godfather of AI,” Hinton shared the prize with John J. Hopfield of Princeton University for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.

Hinton said he was “flabbergasted” at the honour as messages poured in from around the world.

“I had no expectations of this,” he told U of T News shortly after the win was announced in Stockholm Tuesday morning. “I am extremely surprised and I'm honoured to be included.”

He later told reporters at a press conference he was “in a cheap hotel in California” with no Internet and a poor phone connection when he was notified about his Nobel Prize.

“I was going to get an MRI scan today, but I think I’m going to have to cancel that.”

Hinton and Hopfield are credited with wielding tools from physics to advance basic research in the field. Specifically, Hopfield created an associative memory that can store and reconstruct images in data, while Hinton invented a way to find properties in data and perform tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures.

“On behalf of the �ؿ�ζSM, I am absolutely delighted to congratulate University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton on receiving the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “The U of T community is immensely proud of his historic accomplishment.”

Hinton was selected for the high-profile award for his use of the Hopfield network – invented by his co-laureate – as the foundation for a new network called the Boltzmann machine that can learn to recognize elements within a given type of data.

The Boltzmann machine can classify images and generate new examples of the pattern on which it was trained, with Hinton and his graduate students later building on this work to help usher in today’s rapid development of machine learning – a technology that now underpins a host of applications ranging from large language models such as ChatGPT to self-driving cars.

Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

“The laureates’ work has already been of the greatest benefit. In physics we use artificial neural networks in a vast range of areas, such as developing new materials with specific properties,” said Ellen Moons, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

The win by Hinton and Hopfield was covered by media and other organizations around the globe, with The New York Times describing the Nobel committee’s decision as “an acknowledgement of AI’s growing significance in the way people live and work,” and the prestigious journal Nature noting Hinton’s innovations now “form the basis of many state-of-the-art AI tools.”

Hinton joined U of T as a professor of computer science in 1987 after working in various universities in the U.K., where he was born, and in the United States. He went on to be named a University Professor – U of T’s highest academic appointment – in 2006.

Driven by a desire to understand the human brain, Hinton and his graduate students built on his early efforts with an array of developments that paved the way for an explosion in deep learning. One of the first cohort of researchers supported by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Hinton’s work helped catapult Canada to its current status as a global leader in AI development.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prize in Physics, noted Hinton persisted with his research even as the scientific community lost interest in artificial neural networks during the 1990s, and ultimately “helped start the new explosion of exciting results” in the 2000s.

Hinton, for his part, said during a U of T press conference Tuesday evening that his achievements wouldn’t have been possible without support for curiosity-based research – something he said Canada was good at.

He added that his shock at winning the Nobel stemmed from the fact that, while his work has drawn on statistical physics, he isn’t a physicist himself – and even “dropped out of physics after my first year in university because I couldn’t do the complicated math.”

He also said that he plans to donate the money associated with the prize to various charities, including one that provides jobs for neurodiverse young adults.

Hinton likened the influence of AI to that of the Industrial Revolution during a virtual press conference with the academy earlier in the day – “But instead of exceeding people in physical strength, it’s going to exceed people in intellectual ability.”

He added that the rise of AI “is going to be wonderful in many respects,” citing health care and workplace productivity as two areas poised to benefit hugely from the technology. “But we also have to worry about a number of possible bad consequences, particularly the threat of these things getting out of control,” Hinton said.

In early 2023, Hinton quit his job at Google and focused on sounding the alarm about the risks of rapid and unfettered AI development. He outlined his reasoning in a 46-minute U of T video last year, urging young researchers to focus their efforts on the emerging field of AI safety – a message he repeated in media interviews following his Nobel win.

He has continued to tackle the issue at lectures and public appearances around the world, including at U of T and at Cambridge University, his alma mater.

“I am thrilled Geoffrey Hinton, an esteemed colleague and dear friend has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics,” said Melanie Woodin, dean of U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science.

“Geoff is an historic visionary whose groundbreaking work in deep learning and neural networks has made U of T and the Toronto region a leading global centre for AI. And it speaks volumes about his integrity that while he helped lay the foundation for the artificial intelligence revolution, he is also one of the leading voices urging that we develop this technology responsibly and ethically.”

Similarly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lauded Hinton for his efforts to realize responsible AI development, releasing a statement and writing on X: “Geoffrey, we’re glad to have a mind like yours developing safe and responsible AI for the world.”

Geoffrey Hinton delivers a lecture about responsible AI to U of T students and faculty (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hinton, who is co-founder and chief scientific adviser at the Vector Institute in Toronto, joins an illustrious list of past Nobel Prize winners that includes Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. The prestigious award is the latest in a long list of accolades for Hinton. That includes the Association for Computing Machinery’s A.M. Turing Award – widely considered “the Nobel Prize of computing” – in 2019 alongside collaborators Yann LeCun and Yoshua Bengio.

Hinton is the fourth U of T faculty member to win a Nobel Prize over the years.

Sir Frederick Banting and J.J.R Macleod won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work with Charles Best in 1923 to isolate insulin. In 1986, John Polanyi was one of three winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of the new field of reaction dynamics.

Other members of the U of T community, including several alumni, have received or been associated with the international honour.

Oliver Smithies, a past professor at U of T, was a joint winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2007 for discovering the “principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells.”

In 1999, U of T Professor James Orbinski accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Doctors Without Borders, which was recognized for its humanitarian work.

Anti-nuclear activist and U of T alumna Setsuko Thurlow accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway in 2017 on behalf the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

In 2001, Michael Spence, an alumnus of �ؿ�ζSM Schools, was one of three joint winners of the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for his contributions to analyses of markets with asymmetrical information.

Bertram Brockhouse, who completed two degrees at U of T, was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1994 for the development of neutron scattering techniques for studies of condensed matter.

Arthur Schawlow, an alumnus, was one of three winners of the same prize in 1981 for his contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy.

In 1998, U of T alumnus Walter Kohn was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for development of the density-functional theory.

Former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, who received a bachelor’s degree from U of T, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957.

Work of Nobel Prize-winner John Polanyi celebrated in U of T exhibit

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:48:11 +0000

Work of Nobel Prize-winner John Polanyi celebrated in U of T exhibit

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 05/28/2024 - 14:48

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University Professor Emeritus and Nobel laureate John Polanyi said he is "deeply humbled and grateful” for the new permanent exhibit, which honours his seminal research and his advocacy for responsible science (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Faculty of Arts & Science Staff

Topic

Our Community

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

John Polanyi

Nobel Prize

Subheadline

The department of chemistry also recently renamed the research wing of the Lash Miller building in Polanyi's honour

The groundbreaking work of University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi, celebrated chemist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986, is the focus of a new permanent exhibit at the Lash Miller building, home of the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

Through still images, video and equipment, the dynamic exhibit tells the story of Polanyi's career including his seminal work in the field of reaction dynamics – a branch of chemistry that investigates what happens during chemical reactions.

The centrepiece of the exhibit is a replica of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry medal awarded to Polanyi (photo by Diana Tyszko)

The display includes original equipment used in Polanyi’s early research, a reproduction of the lab notebook used by his graduate student to document their experiments and a video chronicling the process of discovery – along with a replica of his Nobel Prize medal.

"It’s been my good fortune to be surrounded by brilliant colleagues and other supporters throughout my life and career," Polanyi said. "I'm deeply humbled and grateful for this marvelous display and ongoing recognition of my life’s work.”

“John Polanyi holds a revered place in the history of the �ؿ�ζSM and his legacy is an inspiration for all of us,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “This installation is a compelling expression of his achievements. All those responsible deserve our thanks and congratulations.”

The exhibit includes a reproduction of the notebook in which Polanyi’s graduate student Ken Cashion documented the results of the experiment that delivered the groundbreaking discovery (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Polanyi came to U of T from Princeton University in 1956, and not long after, made his seminal discovery: his detection of infrared radiation released upon the collision of hydrogen and chloride molecules was the first observation of energy produced from the vibration of new molecules immediately after their formation.

His work went on to influence the development of advanced instrumentation in domains like pharmaceutical research, medicine and chemical manufacturing – including the development of the first chemical lasers.

“The university made a significant investment in me, a young scholar,” said Polanyi. “The environment and the resources I received enabled me to pursue a new and unknown direction in chemical physics.”

In 1974, he was named a University Professor – the highest academic honour bestowed by the university on its faculty members – and in 1994, the John C. Polanyi Chair in Chemistry was established.

The exhibit tells the story of the Nobel Prize-winning discovery in the field of reaction dynamics, and University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi’s advocacy for nuclear disarmament and the responsible use of science (photo by Diana Tyszko)

In tandem with the new exhibit, the department of chemistry also recently renamed the research wing of the Lash Miller building in his honour.

“The John Polanyi research wing and this new display will serve to permanently highlight John's legacy for current and future young scholars,” said Professor Mark Lautens, chair of the department of chemistry. “John has brought great visibility and prestige to the �ؿ�ζSM through his groundbreaking studies and his contributions that go well beyond scientific discovery. We are equally grateful [for] and proud of his advocacy for science, for peace and for a better world.”

Inspiration for the exhibit came after Polanyi donated some of his equipment to the department of chemistry upon his retirement in 2020. A special celebration was held in his honour at Massey College in the fall of 2022, after which Professor Robert Batey, then department chair, with support from the Faculty of Arts & Science dean Melanie Woodin and the Offices of the President and the Vice-President, Research & Innovation, led the development of the exhibit to celebrate Polanyi’s impact and legacy.

“John has made tremendous contributions to the world of science as well as society at large through his advocacy for nuclear disarmament," said Batey. "We are proud to be able to celebrate his work this way in the place that has been his professional home for so many years.”

“This display is a fantastic tribute to Professor Polanyi's remarkable career as a scientist, a teacher and a global citizen,” said Woodin. “It is a fitting acknowledgement for someone who has engendered a network of excellence that stretches across countries and continents.”

University Professor Emeritus John Polanyi (pictured second from the right) was joined in viewing the exhibit by (l to r) department of chemistry chair Mark Lautens, portrait painter Brenda Bury and former department chair Robert Batey (photo by Diana Tyszko)

The department of chemistry and Toronto-based communications and design firm Snack worked closely with Polanyi on the development of the display, drawing from his extensive archive of memorabilia and donated equipment.

The exhibit also captures Polanyi’s advocacy for the responsible use of science and a keen social conscience that compelled him to campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons throughout his career. “A great university that invests in science must also strain to warn of the accompanying risks to humanity," he said.

Prohibition of nuclear weapons the only rational way forward: John Polanyi in the Globe and Mail

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 18:13:53 +0000

Prohibition of nuclear weapons the only rational way forward: John Polanyi in the Globe and Mail

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 12/01/2021 - 13:13

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(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Nuclear weapons continue to pose a threat to humanity and should be banned if reason is to prevail over might, says the �ؿ�ζSM’s John Polanyi.

In a Globe and Mail op-ed based on a recent speech to the Conference on the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Ottawa, the University Professor Emeritus and Nobel laureate says that the lingering threat of nuclear war is “bereft of reason.”

“Reason gave us science; laws of nature and some laws of man. From this came courts where laws are argued. There is a profound difference between that and drawing a gun,” writes Polanyi, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986 and has long argued for abolishing nuclear weapons.

“To set aside the gun will, however, require an act of will, opposing the continual call for armaments. The rationale for arming is that others do it. This defies logic, since it is a race to no destination except war.”

Polanyi notes that while 122 countries have provided their backing for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the world’s nuclear-armed states – as well as Canada – continue to hold out.

He writes that the goal of prohibition will require these countries to set aside the pursuit of armed power and make a “break with history” for the greater good.

Read the op-ed in the Globe and Mail

‘Science is a contact sport’: What one U of T researcher learned in the lab of Nobel laureate William Kaelin

noreen.rasbach — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

‘Science is a contact sport’: What one U of T researcher learned in the lab of Nobel laureate William Kaelin

noreen.rasbach Fri, 11/15/2019 - 00:00

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From left, U of T's Meredith Irwin, Nobel laureate William Kaelin Jr. and U of T's Micahel Ohh, celebrating Kaelin's 60th birthday at the Harvard Faculty Club (photo courtesy of Michael Ohh)

Topic

Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

Nobel Prize

Research & Innovation

When �ؿ�ζSM Professor Michael Ohh was scouting postdoctoral positions at Harvard Medical School in the mid-1990s, a group of Canadians that often gathered to talk science told him to check out the molecular oncology floor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, run by legendary virologist David Livingston.

It turned out to be good advice.

Ohh met with three young investigators Livingston had trained and hired, including the clinician-scientist William Kaelin Jr. “The floor was full of bright and driven people, and the electricity in the air was palpable,” recalls Ohh, now a professor of laboratory medicine and pathobiology and of biochemistry at U of T.

Ohh spent the next five years in Kaelin’s lab and co-authored several papers on how cells respond to changes in oxygen levels – research that contributed to Kaelin being awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The work also set the stage for Ohh’s career as an independent scientist in Toronto, and it continues to bear fruit and hold promise for treatments of cancer and other diseases.

“One of the most significant things I learned in Bill’s lab was a rigorous approach to science,” says Ohh. “He really wanted you to nail the mechanism with a series of elegant experiments and he understood that process is highly competitive with other labs. He often said, ‘Science is a contact sport.’”

Ohh calls his time in Kaelin’s lab a “tour of duty” – unbearably stressful at times, but balanced by the excitement of doing fascinating science with talented people.

Kaelin’s lab was focused on three tumour suppressor genes. Two were well known, but the third was a newly discovered gene called VHL that had been shown to cause von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, a rare hereditary disorder in which patients develop multiple benign and cancerous tumours.

Only a handful of labs in the world studied VHL at the time and virtually nothing was known about its function. “We tried a guilt-by-association approach, looking for proteins with which VHL interacted in the hope that these might shed clues to VHL function,” says Ohh.

By the late 1990s, they had found several and determined that those proteins are part of a larger complex that likely targets other proteins for destruction.

They showed that without a functional VHL protein, these complexes are unable to degrade another protein called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which in turn spurs tumour cell survival and growth even in low-oxygen microenvironments.

The mechanism at play in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, in other words, also impacts how all cells sense and adapt to oxygen deprivation. “The worlds of hypoxia and VHL collided in that discovery,” says Ohh.

Researchers have since developed ways to control how cells sense and adapt to changes in oxygen, and are applying those findings for various conditions. A drug based on this approach is in clinical trial for various cancer types, and the findings also look promising in pre-clinical research for cardiovascular disease and anemia.

Ohh’s lab in Toronto has just figured out why certain people with mutations in another HIF gene get cancer and/or polycythemia (an excess of red blood cells). Recent clinical reports have detailed the plight of people with this mutation, and clinicians are now asking Ohh’s lab if they can help predict what disease their patients will eventually develop, so they can better monitor their patients for these conditions.

“Early detection is critical for outcomes in cancer treatment, so this is useful, highly personalized medicine,” says Ohh. “And it’s an extension of the work we did 20 years ago, which is gratifying.”

Ohh and his lab are also looking at evolutionary aspects of this molecular pathway. They are studying evolutionary diversions of the pathway among different animals over millions of years to see which genetic sequences and motifs are conserved.

Insights into these diversions could offer ways to understand the precise mechanisms and critical regions of HIF and VHL by which cells better respond to oxygen fluctuations.

Great science isn’t the only product of the Kaelin lab. Ohh met his wife Meredith Irwin there when she was a research trainee, and they have been together for two decades. Irwin is a professor of pediatrics, medical biophysics and laboratory medicine and pathobiology at U of T, as well as a clinician-scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children.

Irwin was born and raised in New York, studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, and trained at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber for more than a decade.

The couple travelled to Boston for Kaelin’s 60^th birthday two years ago. “They asked us to give talks, and afterward Bill made a comment about me stealing an American to Canada,” says Ohh. “We really are very happy here in Toronto.”

Nobel Laureate John Polanyi: 'What can we do to prevent nuclear war?'

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Nobel Laureate John Polanyi: 'What can we do to prevent nuclear war?'

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 11/14/2019 - 00:00

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U of T's John Polanyi remains committed to raising the public’s awareness of the threat of the arms race: “Our task is to keep that process of education going" (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Chris Sasaki

Topic

Global Lens

Alumni

Barbara Sherwood Lollar

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Faculty of Arts & Science

Global

John Polanyi

Nobel Prize

This past August, six months after the contentious breakdown of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and mere days after joint U.S.- South Korea military exercises ended, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

The missiles prompted an international response, including a call from South Korea for the restart of talks between the U.S. and its neighbour to the north.

The incident was yet another tense confrontation between nuclear powers – a litany that began in the mid-20^th century with the atomic bomb, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Cuban missile crisis, the Korean War and other global events.

The chilling history of the Cold War, the arms race and nuclear proliferation was recently recounted by John Polanyi, Nobel laureate and a University Professor at the �ؿ�ζSM’s department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, in a talk titled “What can we do to prevent nuclear war?”

Polanyi, a Fellow of the Royal Society – the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences – as well as a Companion of the Order of Canada, was speaking at an event organized by the U of T chapter of Science for Peace. It took place on Oct. 2 at the George Ignatieff Theatre and was livestreamed.

In his opening remarks, Adnan Zuberi, a U of T alumnus and a member of the chapter’s board of directors, explained that Science for Peace “seeks to understand and act on matters of militarism, social injustice and environmental destruction.”

He added that Science for Peace was founded in 1981 when “many notable academic scientists at U of T saw the Cold War and the number of nuclear weapons getting out of control and realized they had to step in and bring scientific reasoning and sensibility to de-escalate matters.”

Barbara Sherwood Lollar, a University Professor in the department of Earth sciences, introduced Polanyi, pointing out that the winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry could rightly claim a share in the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize as well. It was awarded to the Pugwash Conferences – a global movement of scholars dedicated to reducing the threat of armed conflict – and Polanyi was the founding chair of the Canadian Pugwash.

Sherwood Lollar described Polanyi as “a conscience for the idea of how scientists and engineers can act with and in support of society to move us forward on the kinds of goals and enormous challenges that are facing us.”

Polanyi began by paying his respects to Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old climate change activist who was in Canada at the time of the talk.

“What she said to the UN General Assembly could just as well be said about the arms race and nuclear weapons. She said, ‘You pretend that this can be solved by business as usual. Change is coming whether you like it or not.’ I see this as being true of the grievous danger we face in a nuclear war.”

As Polanyi continued, it became clear that his life and the history of the arms race have been woven together since the Cold War began.

In 1950, U.S. President Harry Truman was still deciding whether to greenlight the development of the hydrogen bomb – a device that would dwarf the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki – when Polanyi’s friend, German-American theoretical physicist Hans Bethe, had an article published in Scientific American magazine that made a passionate case against the new weapon.

Polanyi quoted Bethe’s article, saying, “‘Can we [the U.S.], who insist on morality and humanity, introduce this weapon of total annihilation into the world? Shall we convince the Russians of the value of the individual by killing millions?’

“We’re still trying to absorb the truth of what Bethe said. That we shouldn’t have anything to do with such a weapon.”

The H-bomb was developed by both the U.S. and the Soviet Union and it was in the shadow of this growing threat that Polanyi attended the Pugwash Conference in Moscow in 1960.

In Moscow, Polanyi’s “hero,” Hungarian-American physicist Leo Szilard, addressed the problem of nuclear proliferation by suggesting that the U.S. and Soviets should be limited to one weapon each – “one buried under Moscow and one under Washington.”

Despite attempts to limit global nuclear arsenals, Polanyi explained, the number of weapons grew into the tens of thousands and eventually abated, not because of the effectiveness of mutual deterrence, but through a thawing of the Cold War under Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Polanyi observed that the threat of nuclear conflict is as real today as when U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev inched the world to the brink of nuclear war when the Soviets deployed ballistic missiles in Cuba.

He reminded the audience that the latest chapter is being written by Trump and Kim, “one of whom is becoming unhinged” – without specifying which of the two leaders he was referring to.

Despite the gravity of the subject and the dramas being played out on today’s geopolitical stage, Polanyi remains inspiring, optimistic and – as his talks and public appearances attest – committed to the importance of raising the public’s awareness of the threat of the arms race.

“Our task is to keep that process of education going,” he said, answering the question in the talk’s title. “We should rejoice that we were born at this time and have that noble task ahead of us.”

For aspiring U of T physicist, meeting with Nobel Prize winners a rare chance to learn from world's brightest

noreen.rasbach — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 21:06:16 +0000

For aspiring U of T physicist, meeting with Nobel Prize winners a rare chance to learn from world's brightest

noreen.rasbach Wed, 10/09/2019 - 17:06

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Patrick Pallagi, a second-year student studying physics, recently travelled to Germany for the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, where about 40 Nobel Prize winners gathered to meet the next generation of scientists (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Tom Yun

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Arts & Science

Nobel Prize

Physics

Research & Innovation

St. Michael's College

Undergraduate Students

Patrick Pallagi, a second-year student studying physics at the �ؿ�ζSM, has come closer than most to the prestigious Nobel Prize.

The student at St. Michael’s College recently travelled to Lindau, Germany to participate in the 69^th annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, where about 40 Nobel Prize winners gathered to meet the next generation of scientists between June 30 and July 5.

He was one of just 580 young scientists invited to attend the event.

“I waited around six months to see what was going to happen, and then I received an email that I was accepted,” said Pallagi, who is originally from Hungary and came to U of T through the Pearson Scholarship.

He added that he was encouraged to apply to attend the conference by his mentor in Budapest.

The Nobel Prize committee is busy handing out the 2019 awards this week. On Wednesday, it announced Canadian-born physicist James Peebles was one of three researchers who won the Nobel Prize in Physics “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology.” Today, the committee gave the prize in chemistry to a trio of researchers for the development of lithium-ion batteries.

As for last summer’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, Pallagi said he had a chance to learn from renowned physicists such as Steven Chu, who was energy secretary under the Obama administration and won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Pallagi, who is pursing a double major in physics and the history and philosophy of science, told U of T News he was intrigued at how Chu was an early supporter of Tesla and the electric car industry. He said he also learned about the value of looking at science from a public policy angle.

“We had a great conversation with him about science policy,” Pallagi said.

Pallagi also had the opportunity to talk to Canadian Nobel winners such as astrophysicist Arthur McDonald, who was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics, and laser physicist Donna Strickland, who won the same award last year.

“(Strickland) made a great presentation about how her thesis statement was a great new idea at the time, and how her first paper became a ground-breaking revolution in laser physics that she didn’t anticipate at all,” said Pallagi.

At U of T, several faculty and alumni have received the Nobel Prize over the years. They include Sir Frederick Banting, who won the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering insulin’s properties in treating diabetes, and University Professor John Polanyi, who won the chemistry prize in 1986.

Pallagi said he was looking forward to seeing whose work is highlighted by the Nobel committee this year.

“I think (science and technology) can be used to help people from various backgrounds and enhance their quality of life… and the Nobel Prize, I think, is in support of this,” Pallagi said.

Watch U of T honorary degree recipient Setsuko Thurlow deliver her convocation address

Romi Levine — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 15:16:47 +0000

Watch U of T honorary degree recipient Setsuko Thurlow deliver her convocation address Romi Levine Wed, 06/05/2019 - 11:16

Convocation 2019

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Global

Honorary Degree

Nobel Prize

‘Be agents of change’: Hiroshima survivor and anti-nuclear activist Setsuko Thurlow receives U of T honorary degree

Romi Levine — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 15:30:22 +0000

‘Be agents of change’: Hiroshima survivor and anti-nuclear activist Setsuko Thurlow receives U of T honorary degree

Romi Levine Mon, 06/03/2019 - 11:30

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Setsuko Thurlow has dedicated her life to abolishing nuclear weapons (photo by Steve Frost)

Topic

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Global

Honorary Degree

Nobel Prize

When the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, Setsuko Thurlow was less than two kilometres from ground zero.

She was 13 at the time of the blast, which killed more than 140,000 people including a number of Thurlow’s family members and schoolmates.

“It’s not easy to carry these memories,” Thurlow told the National Post in 2017. “We learned how to step over the dead bodies.”

Knowing first-hand the devastation of nuclear attacks, Thurlow has dedicated her life to educating people around the world about the threat of nuclear weapons.

“By sharing my personal testimony, I have attempted to put a human face to the often abstract discussion of nuclear weapons with a hope that such an approach would help people to gain a deeper understanding, with empathy and sensitivity for the catastrophic human impact that nuclear weapons can inflict,” she said at an event hosted by the �ؿ�ζSM last year.

Watch Setsuko Thurlow deliver her remarks:

Thurlow accepted the Nobel Peace Prize two years ago on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The global coalition of non-governmental organizations played an important role in the creation of the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a historic measure that prohibits all nuclear weapons.

After completing her undergraduate degree at Hiroshima Jogakuin University, Thurlow moved to the U.S. to attend college, where she met and eventually married Canadian historian Jim Thurlow. The couple moved to Toronto where Setsuko earned a master’s degree in social work from U of T.

On Tuesday, she returns to her alma mater to receive an honorary degree. Thurlow will be recognized with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for “her outstanding service for the public good, as an advocate and champion for peace, and as a volunteer leader for the global nuclear disarmament community.”

(photo by Thea Mjelstad)

Thurlow will be addressing graduates from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at their convocation ceremony. Later that day, a reception will be held in her honour where University Professor of chemistry and Nobel Laureate John Polanyi will be speaking about the magnitude of her accomplishments.

“Setsuko at 13 had the instincts of a scientist,” said Polanyi in remarks prepared for the event. “Finding herself propelled into a nightmare world, she held back her tears. Instead she chose to observe and draw conclusions. She determined to devote herself to ending the danger.”

Polanyi likened the importance of ICAN’s advocacy to the movement to abolish slavery in the 18^thand 19^thcenturies. “They serve as an inspiration to us all,” he said of Thurlow and her colleagues.

Thurlow’s dedication to nuclear disarmament has earned her numerous accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award, membership in the Order of Canada and the designation of “peace ambassador” by the city of Hiroshima.

Setsuko Thurlow’s message to the Class of 2019:

1. Think beyond yourselves. Life has much more meaning when you do things for the collective good; things that you don’t really have to do, but which ultimately give your existence a sense of purpose.

2. Get involved, take action, be agents of change, make things happen.

3. Persist.

4. Unshakeable, visionary love is the only power that can overcome the problems besetting our world.

Painting of historic insulin lab by U of T’s Frederick Banting up for auction

Romi Levine — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 16:36:39 +0000

Painting of historic insulin lab by U of T’s Frederick Banting up for auction

Romi Levine Thu, 10/04/2018 - 12:36

Cutline

The Lab (1925) by Frederick Banting will be auctioned off in November (image courtesy of Heffel Fine Art Auction House)

Topic

History was made at a �ؿ�ζSM lab in 1921 when physician Frederick Banting and researcher Charles Best discovered insulin – transforming the lives of people living with diabetes and earning the scientists the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Next month, one lucky bidder will be able to take home a piece of that historic moment.

The Lab, a 1925 painting by Banting depicting the lab where insulin was discovered, will be up for auction by Heffel Fine Art Auction House on Nov. 21.

“When you hold this painting, you really feel like you’re holding a piece of history,” Heffel president, David Heffel, told the Canadian Press.

“Foremost, it’s a great painting by one of Canada’s great painters, but also, that great painter was a Nobel Prize-winning medical scientist.”

The auction house will be donating its commission from the sale to U of T’s Banting & Best Diabetes Centre.

Nobel Prize

Congratulations pour in for Geoffrey Hinton after Nobel win

Geoffrey Hinton wins Nobel Prize in Physics

Work of Nobel Prize-winner John Polanyi celebrated in U of T exhibit

Prohibition of nuclear weapons the only rational way forward: John Polanyi in the Globe and Mail

Read the op-ed in the Globe and Mail

‘Science is a contact sport’: What one U of T researcher learned in the lab of Nobel laureate William Kaelin

Nobel Laureate John Polanyi: 'What can we do to prevent nuclear war?'

For aspiring U of T physicist, meeting with Nobel Prize winners a rare chance to learn from world's brightest

Watch U of T honorary degree recipient Setsuko Thurlow deliver her convocation address

Read more about Setsuko Thurlow
Read more about Convocation 2019

‘Be agents of change’: Hiroshima survivor and anti-nuclear activist Setsuko Thurlow receives U of T honorary degree

Watch Setsuko Thurlow deliver her remarks:

Setsuko Thurlow’s message to the Class of 2019:

1. Think beyond yourselves. Life has much more meaning when you do things for the collective good; things that you don’t really have to do, but which ultimately give your existence a sense of purpose.

2. Get involved, take action, be agents of change, make things happen.

3. Persist.

4. Unshakeable, visionary love is the only power that can overcome the problems besetting our world.

Painting of historic insulin lab by U of T’s Frederick Banting up for auction

Read the Toronto Star article

Nobel Prize

Congratulations pour in for Geoffrey Hinton after Nobel win

Geoffrey Hinton wins Nobel Prize in Physics

Work of Nobel Prize-winner John Polanyi celebrated in U of T exhibit

Prohibition of nuclear weapons the only rational way forward: John Polanyi in the Globe and Mail

Read the op-ed in the Globe and Mail

‘Science is a contact sport’: What one U of T researcher learned in the lab of Nobel laureate William Kaelin

Nobel Laureate John Polanyi: 'What can we do to prevent nuclear war?'

For aspiring U of T physicist, meeting with Nobel Prize winners a rare chance to learn from world's brightest

Watch U of T honorary degree recipient Setsuko Thurlow deliver her convocation address

Read more about Setsuko Thurlow Read more about Convocation 2019

‘Be agents of change’: Hiroshima survivor and anti-nuclear activist Setsuko Thurlow receives U of T honorary degree

Watch Setsuko Thurlow deliver her remarks:

Setsuko Thurlow’s message to the Class of 2019:

1. Think beyond yourselves. Life has much more meaning when you do things for the collective good; things that you don’t really have to do, but which ultimately give your existence a sense of purpose.

2. Get involved, take action, be agents of change, make things happen.

3. Persist.

4. Unshakeable, visionary love is the only power that can overcome the problems besetting our world.

Painting of historic insulin lab by U of T’s Frederick Banting up for auction

Read the Toronto Star article

Read more about Setsuko Thurlow
Read more about Convocation 2019