Dr Eaves was a British-trained Canadian cancer biologist first recognized for her development of robust functional methods to quantify and characterize distinct types of primitive blood and mammary cell precursors - now considered gold standards. Their use has enabled many discoveries, including Dr Eaves' first demonstration with her husband of quiescent malignant stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia. Her group exploited new ways of prospectively analysing the process of human leukemia and breast cancer development from genetically engineered normal human cells.
Dr Eaves had a long track record as an editor, reviewer and has served as President of the National Cancer Institute of Canada (1997-8). She was a devoted mentor, and a fervent supporter of basic research, and of trainee and advocate involvement in the development of scientific priorities.
She was a Fellow of the Royal Societies of Canada (1994) and Edinburgh (2015), and received numerous awards including the Noble and Chew-Wei Prizes for Cancer Research, the International CML Foundation Rowley Prize, the American Society of Hematology's Stratton Lifetime Achievement and E Donnall Thomas Awards, and a Gairdner-Wightman award.
Dr Connie Eaves FRS died on 7 March 2024.
Professional position
- Distinguished Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute
- University Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia
