Garth Warnock

Dr. Warnock was born in Alberta where he completed high school at Picture Butte, and studies at the University of Lethbridge and the University of Alberta.  He went on to complete a residency training program in surgery where he developed research interests in the transplantation of pancreatic islets of Langerhans for type 1 diabetes.  After completing Fellowship experience at the Nuffield Department of Surgery in Oxford, he returned to the Faculty of the University of Alberta supported throughout his career by investigator awards from Alberta’s Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.  Research contributions included improvements to the separation and preservation of islets of Langerhans, definition of the critical mass of transplanted islet cells to reverse the insulin dependence and definition of strategies to prevent auto and allo-immune injury to transplanted islets.  Clinical studies in islet cell transplantation led to Canada’s first islet cell transplants and the first long-term success after islet cell transplantation worldwide.  He developed clinical surgical expertise in management of pancreatic and gastrointestinal disorders and promoted undergraduate and postgraduate education programs.  Dr. Warnock joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2001 as Woodward Professor and recently completed 2 consecutive terms as Head of the Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief of Vancouver Acute Hospitals. He has promoted surgery through the Canadian Association of Surgical Chairs, the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, and the American College of Surgeons, and serves as Co-Editor in Chief of the Canadian Journal of Surgery.  Dr. Warnock established clinical and basic studies in pancreatic islet transplantation at the Ike Barber Human Islet Laboratory at Vancouver General Hospital in 2003.  Dr. Warnock’s research was honored with the 2005 Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons Gallie Lecture and the Governor General of Canada Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division) for bringing distinction to Canada.  This research program has garnered funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the International Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and Canadian Diabetes Association to investigate prevention of immune injury to islet cells.  In 2006, his lab became one of the anchors for a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Centre for Human Islet Transplantation and Beta Cell Regeneration.  In addition to his continued dedication to research, Dr. Warnock leads a strong commitment to teaching at UBC which is now Canada’s largest medical school.  He continues to perform clinical surgeries while continuing as the Scientific Director of the Ike Barber Human Islet Transplant Laboratory.