Join us Wednesday, October 19 for the 2011 Gairdner Lecture at the University of Prince Edward Island. Dr. Michael Hayden, 2011 Canada Gairdner Wightman Laureate and Canada Research Chair in Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, will deliver his lecture, "Black Swans, genetics and drug discovery." The 2011 Gairdner Lecture takes place at 3 p.m. in Lecture Theatre A of the Atlantic Veterinary College. Dr. Hayden’s work focuses on understanding the genetic roots of illness and using that understanding to develop better approaches to treatment for patients. He researches diabetes, coronary artery disease, and is part of a large collaboration to determine the genetic basis for adverse drug reactions in children. Much of his career has also been dedicated to understanding the development of Huntington disease and finding a way to cure it. "When we started working on Huntington disease, the future was dark and patients and families felt hopeless," says Dr. Hayden. "Today, that has all changed." Researchers in the Hayden laboratory have found a critical pathway in the development of juvenile forms of Huntington’s disease. Blocking the action of caspase-6 prevents the progression of the disease in mice. This finding could lay the groundwork for an effective approach to therapy for Huntington disease. Dr. Hayden was named to the Order of British Columbia in 2009. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research awarded him Canada's Health Researcher of the Year in 2008. He is also a past Prix Gailen awardee. The Gairdner Foundation was created in 1957 by James Arthur Gairdner to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. Since the first awards were made in 1959, the Gairdner Awards have become Canada's foremost international award. They hold up the pinnacle of achievement as a mirror to Canadians, and in so doing, play a role in helping Canada achieve its goals of excellence.