Obituary of Jennifer Sturgess

JENNIFER MARY STURGESS B.SC. (BRISTOL), PHD. (LONDON) It is with great sadness that we announce that Jennifer passed away peacefully, surrounded by her husband and children, on Saturday, September 5, after a valiant battle with lymphoma. She would have been sixty five years old on the 26th of September. She will be forever missed by Bob, her loving husband of forty three years, by her beloved children; daughter Claire (Michael Stevenson) and sons Paul, and Hugh (Alyson Saunders); by adored grandchildren, Kate and James; by brother Colin (Sue) of Tswassen, B.C.; by nephew Fraser (Mary Ann) and grand nieces and nephews Caleigh, Michael, and Meara, all of Vancouver; and by cousins Janet and Donald in the UK. She was born in Nottingham, England in 1944, and earned degrees in microbiology from Bristol University, and a Doctorate in Pathology from the University of London. She moved with Bob to Toronto in 1970 and began research into chest diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children. Awarded a Medical Research Council scholarship in 1974, she held independent research grants from the MRC, the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Ontario Thoracic Society from 1971 to 1985. She achieved international recognition for the discovery of hereditary defects of cilia in the lung (imotive cilia syndrome) and made significant contributions to the Canadian and International Cystic Fibrosis Foundations and the World Health Organization that led to identification of the CF gene. She published more than 100 articles in leading scientific journals, and more than 20 chapters in books related to chest diseases. She was appointed to the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, in 1973, and became a full professor in 1990. In 1979 she moved seamlessly to the pharmaceutical industry, as Vice President, Medical and Scientific Affairs with Warner Lambert Canada, and was Director of that company's Research Institute. She was responsible for pharmaceutical research and development, clinical trials, product development, and all regulatory activities. In 1990 she was appointed Associate Dean in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto responsible for the administration of policies for medical and health research conducted by faculty in the university, and in eleven affiliated hospitals, covering more than 1700 research investigators. She represented the Faculty of Medicine on various hospital boards, and served on the Leyerle Commission, and the District Health Council. In 1993 she was appointed President of the Toronto Hospital Research Institute, with governing responsibility for 250 investigators, and external grants exceeding $30 million. She established a not-for-profit research corporation with an independent Board of Directors. In 1987 she was appointed a member of the Science Council of Canada, and in 1990 she was also appointed a member of the Medical Research Council of Canada. In 1995 she served on the Health Industries Development Council of Ontario. In 1996 she was appointed Medical Director for Warner Lambert ­ Parke Davis in Canada, with the responsibility for the process of obtaining Health Canada approval for the new cardiovascular drug, Lipitor, which was achieved in record time. In 1998 she was appointed Vice President Clinical and Medical Research, Europe, South Africa, and Australia, responsible for Phase 1 to 4 clinical trials for global registration of new drugs. She managed research teams in Germany, France and the UK, and directed the work of 185 clinical researchers in 19 countries. On the acquisition of Warner Lambert by Pfizer in 2000, she was a key member of the transition team and managed the integration of senior management in 22 affiliates. Jennifer was a remarkably accomplished lady, who succeeded at all that she did. She always had time for her three children, who received her unlimited encouragement, guidance, counsel and support . Her family, and in particular her grandchildren, were the most important aspects of her life. They will miss her participation in their lives, her energy, her love of children's activities, and her great ability to generate their interest and excitement. She loved spending the winter months at Longboat Key, Florida, where she had many friends. A private cremation has taken place. A celebration of Jennifer's life will be held in Toronto at a time and place to be determined and which will be published in these columns within a few days.