Janet is a Senior Scientist in the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program and Chief of Research Emeritus at SickKids, Toronto. She is also a Professor at University of Toronto in the Departments of Molecular Genetics, Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Paediatrics. Her research interests centre on understanding the genetic control of normal and abnormal development in the early mouse embryo using both cellular and genetic manipulation techniques. Her interests in the early embryo have led to the discovery of a novel placental stem cell type, the trophoblast stem cell. She is deputy scientific director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network.

 

Janet trained at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, United Kingdom and has been in Canada since 1977, first at Brock University and then at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, from 1985 to 2005. Janet has been recognized for her contributions to science with many awards, including the Killam Prize for Health Sciences, the March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology, the Conklin Medal from the Society for Developmental Biology, the Ross G. Harrison Medal (lifetime achievement award) from the International Society of Developmental Biologists and the CIHR Michael Smith Prize in Health Research, Canada’s most prestigious health research award. Janet was most recently recognized in March 2015, with the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award, given each year to a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in medicine and medical science. Then, on July 1, 2015, the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada announced the appointment of Janet as a Companion of the Order of Canada.

 

Janet is actively involved in the international developmental and stem cell biology communities. She has contributed to the scientific and ethical discussion on public issues related to stem cell research. Janet chaired the working group of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) on Stem Cell Research, which developed guidelines for CIHR-funded research in this area.