Dr. Robert Hancock stands as a preeminent figure in microbiology and immunology with a distinguished career spanning over four decades at the University of British Columbia. He currently holds the prestigious Killam Professorship in Microbiology and Immunology and serves as Director of the Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, where he leads cutting-edge investigations into host-pathogen interactions. As a Canada Research Chair in Health and Genomics and Associate Faculty Member of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, his leadership has established UBC as a global hub for antimicrobial research and therapeutic innovation. Educated at the University of Adelaide, Dr. Hancock has built an illustrious academic trajectory that has cemented his reputation as one of Canada's most influential biomedical scientists.
Dr. Hancock's groundbreaking research on cationic host defense peptides has revolutionized approaches to combating antibiotic resistance, with his self-promoted uptake theory providing fundamental insights into antimicrobial mechanisms. His prolific scholarly output exceeds 800 peer-reviewed publications with over 113,000 citations and an impressive h-index of 168, establishing him as an ISI highly cited author in Microbiology. His pioneering work on developing alternatives to conventional antibiotics has yielded 72 awarded patents that form the foundation for novel therapeutic strategies against drug-resistant infections. The laboratory's innovative approaches to modulating innate immunity and targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa have provided critical frameworks for addressing one of modern medicine's most pressing challenges.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Hancock has profoundly shaped the field through the co-founding of five biotechnology ventures including Migenix, Inimex Pharmaceuticals, and the Centre for Drug Research and Development, successfully translating scientific discoveries into clinical applications. His exceptional mentorship has nurtured 140 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who now occupy influential positions across academia, industry, and government laboratories worldwide, earning him the Killam Prize for excellence in mentoring in 2010. Recognized with prestigious honors including the Officer of the Order of Canada, Prix Galien, and Killam Prize for Health Research, his leadership continues to drive innovation in antimicrobial therapeutics. Dr. Hancock's current research agenda remains intensely focused on developing novel approaches to combat infectious diseases through immunomodulatory strategies that promise to overcome the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance.
