GCI Researcher Lawrence Kazak Awarded Prestigious NSERC Fellowship

Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) researcher Lawrence Kazak has been awarded the 2026 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship.

A highly prestigious award, the Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship recognizes up to six early-stage academic researchers every year and provides $250,000 in research funding as well as support to relieve them from teaching and administrative duties. They can then dedicate their full time to research for 2 years.

Since joining the GCI in 2018, Professor Kazak has established himself as a leader in the field of adipose biology and metabolism. He and his team have identified and uncovered the working mechanisms of the Futile Creatine Cycle, a new alternative way for fat cells to burn energy. This major breakthrough is shaping the way the field approaches thermogenesis and energy expenditure, especially when studying diseases such as obesity and cancer.

“Cancer research is increasingly coming to intersections between fields, and Professor Kazak is pushing the boundaries of research on obesity and cancer,” said John Stagg, Director of the GCI. “This recognition mirrors the impact of his research and the value in investing in his research program. The GCI is proud to be home to such a brilliant researcher.”

Professor’s Kazak contributions have been repeatedly recognized. His most recent awards count the Canadian Physiological Society’s J. A. F. Stevenson Award (2024), the Jean Davignon Young Investigator Award (2024), the Endocrine Society’s Early Investigator Award (2022), and the Terry Fox New Investigator Award (2022).

As Professor Kazak’s research team continues to connect metabolism, obesity and cancer, the GCI is proud to count him among its leading investigators. We congratulate him on this well-deserved honour and look forward to the discoveries ahead.

For the full award announcement: https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/prizes/arthur-b-mcdonald-fellowships