New Canada Post stamp honours “medical groundbreaker” USask alumnus
Dr. James Till (BA’52, MA’54, PhD) and his research partner established the field of stem cell medicine
A new set of stamps from Canada Post pays tribute to six Canadian medical research pioneers, including University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduate Dr. James Till (BA’52, MA’54, PhD).
Working at the Ontario Cancer Institute in the early 1960s, Till and his colleague Dr. Ernest McCulloch (MD) were the first to demonstrate the existence of stem cells, kickstarting a revolution in modern medicine.
For his contributions to regenerative medicine, Till was named an Officer of the Order of Canada and one of the College of Arts and Science’s Alumni of Influence.
While a student at USask, Till worked in the laboratory of Dr. Harold Johns (PhD), who was engaged in ground-breaking research in cobalt-60 radiation therapy to treat cancer.
“I hadn’t applied for the position but I accepted, and that’s where I got my first experience in research. I liked it,” said Till in an interview for the 2018 issue of Arts&Science magazine.
Read more about the Medical Groundbreakers series of stamps on the Canada Post website.
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