Dr. Brett Finlay is a distinguished scholar renowned for his pioneering contributions to the molecular understanding of host-pathogen interactions and microbiome science. He currently serves as the UBC Peter Wall Distinguished Professor and holds professorships in the Michael Smith Laboratories, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia. Following his B.Sc. (Honors) and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta, he completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Stanley Falkow at Stanford University, where he began his groundbreaking work on bacterial pathogenesis mechanisms. Since joining UBC as an Assistant Professor in 1989, Dr. Finlay has established himself as a leading authority in microbiology, evolving from fundamental pathogen research to comprehensive investigations of the human microbiome's role in health and disease.
Dr. Finlay's laboratory has produced over 500 peer-reviewed publications with significant impact, including fundamental discoveries about type III secreted virulence factors from Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli that revolutionized understanding of bacterial infection mechanisms. His research program integrates microbiology, cell biology, immunology, and systems biology to elucidate how microbes cause disease and how the microbiota influences health outcomes across multiple conditions including infectious diarrhea, asthma, malnutrition, and environmental enteropathy. Notably, he led the SARS Accelerated Vaccine Initiative and developed vaccines for SARS and a bovine E. coli O157:H7 vaccine, demonstrating his capacity to translate basic science into practical applications. His influential books Let Them Eat Dirt and The Whole-Body Microbiome have brought microbiome science to public attention while advancing scientific understanding of microbial influences throughout the human lifespan.
A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Dr. Finlay has received numerous prestigious honors including being named an Officer of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, as well as induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. He co-founded multiple biotechnology companies including Inimex Pharmaceuticals and Microbiome Insights, and serves as Co-Director and Senior Fellow of the CIFAR Humans and Microbes program, shaping international research agendas in microbiome science. His current research explores innovative applications of microbiome knowledge to address global health challenges such as malnutrition, asthma, and neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinson's disease. Through his extensive mentorship, collaborative initiatives, and public science communication, Dr. Finlay continues to catalyze transformative advances at the intersection of microbiology, immunology, and human health.
