Dr. Phil Gold made Canadian medical history in 1965—and now it’s official. Forty-five years after he and his colleague Dr. Samuel Freedman discovered the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)—which, as the first clinically useful human tumour marker, revolutionized the diagnosis and management of cancer—Gold is being inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. He is professor of medicine, physiology and oncology in McGill’s Faculty of Medicine, and executive director of the Clinical Research Centre at the Montreal General Hospital.
“The relevance of Dr. Gold’s discovery over four decades ago stands today as an indelible testament to the value of research,” says Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, Director of the Research Institute (RI) at the MUHC. “He is a trusted friend to his colleagues, an invaluable contributor to many RI committees and a role model for young investigators.”
At a ceremony in April 2010, Dr. Gold and five other inductees will join the ranks of the previous 76 laureates who have pushed the boundaries of knowledge to improve human health. Gold’s research has also made him a Companion of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec and, as a Montreal native, a member of the Academy of Great Montrealers. He has received the F.N.G. Starr Award from the Canadian Medical Association and, with Dr. Freedman, the Gairdner Foundation International Award.