Five days in Toronto and online
The Gairdner Foundation is running Gairdner Science Week 2026 from October 19 to 23, with events in Toronto and streamed online. The week is organised around the 2026 Canada Gairdner Award laureates and is aimed at scientists, students, healthcare professionals and the public, the foundation said.
The research being recognised
According to the foundation, this year's award-winning work spans the imaging of molecular structures inside cells, treatments for amyloid disease, the foundations of modern systems proteomics, oral cholera vaccines, new approaches to antibiotic-resistant infections and the restoration of blood pressure control after spinal cord injury.
Lectures, panels and student sessions
The Laureate Lectures on October 21 give the public a chance to hear the 2026 recipients discuss their research. On October 22 the programme includes "After the Gairdner Award—Where Next?", "Research and Response: Lessons for the future" and a Women of Gairdner panel. Student and early-career events include a Lunch with Laureates and outreach at Canadian universities; Dr. Karen Maxwell, a 2026 Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award laureate, said she first attended the week as a graduate student and has drawn inspiration from it since. The week closes with the Canada Gairdner Awards Gala, hosted by Anthony Morgan of The Nature of Things. Most events are free, with in-person and virtual places available, and the full schedule and registration are listed here.
About the foundation
The Gairdner Foundation was established in 1957 to carry out James A. Gairdner's aim of recognising major research contributions to the treatment of disease. It says 443 awards have been made to laureates from more than 40 countries, and that 105 of those awardees have later received Nobel Prizes.
