Premier’s Medal for Innovation

In a ceremony held in June 2009 to recognize research excellence on PEI, Premier Robert Ghiz awarded the Medal for Innovation to Dr. Russ Kerr, CEO of Nautilus Biosciences Canada Inc. The Premier’s Medal for Innovation will be awarded annually to a Prince Edward Island innovator who has demonstrated excellence in his/her field and has made a significant research contribution to the fields of bio-science, aerospace, information technology, or renewable energy.

Dr. Kerr received the award for his research work to further develop production methods and conduct pre-clinical trials for a marine-derived natural product known as desmethyleleutherobin. This compound is a highly promising cancer therapeutic whose development has been hampered by the lack of commercial supply.

Dr. Kerr is a Professor and Tier I Canada Research Chair in Marine Natural Products in the Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences at the Atlantic Veterinary College.

Dr. Kerr received his B.Sc. in chemistry and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Calgary, and subsequently worked as a post doctoral fellow at Stanford University. Dr. Kerr joined Florida Atlantic University in 1991 where he established a research group in the field of marine natural products. In 2003 he established the Centre of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology in Florida, a not-for-profit research institute which represents a consortium of public and private universities, as well as several biotechnology companies.

In 2007, he co-founded Nautilus Biosciences Canada to develop sustainable production methods of high-value, bioactive marine natural products and to discover new marine natural products with applications in human and animal health and wellness.