Dr. Peeyush Lala: 2017 Lawson Scientist Career Award Winner

Over the past 50 years, Dr. Peeyush Lala has led a career dedicated to the fields of placental biology and cancer biology. He has built a unique bridge between the two disciplines by progressing understanding of the mechanisms that control cell migration and tissue invasion. Recognizing his many accomplishments and accolades, Dr. Lala was presented with the 2017 Lawson Career Scientist Award at the 2017 Lawson Impact Awards this past spring.

Through his work, Dr. Lala has significantly advanced our knowledge of embryo implantation, placental development and cancer metastasis. “The placenta is an organ that is highly invasive. It invades the immune system of the mother because it’s part father and part mother. Cancer, of course, is like a parasite which also invades the immune system,” says Dr. Lala, a scientist at Children’s Health Research Institute, a program of Lawson Health Research Institute. “The commonality between the two led us to discover common traits which we have applied to cancer therapy and used to discover new molecules which may be associated with pregnancy-related diseases.”

This includes studying the role of cancer stem cells to improve our understanding of cancer metastasis. As a result, Dr. Lala’s lab has discovered promising new drugs that may be able to treat breast cancer metastases.

“Early in my career, I predicted that the cure of cancer lied in identifying cancer stem cells and finding drugs that can eliminate them,” says Dr. Lala, also a Professor-Emeritus and Professor in the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. “This long-cherished dream is now closer than ever.”

Dr. Lala’s most recent findings include the discovery that the production of a molecule called decorin is dysregulated in pregnancies with pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy disorder in which expecting mothers experience high blood pressure and other complications. This raises the exciting possibility that the measurement of decorin could be used as a biomarker to predict pre-eclampsia.

Dr. Lala’s passion for science and its translation for clinical impact are evident throughout his career. Dr. Lala has coauthored more than 225 scientific publications, 26 of which have been cited more than 100 times. This is a feat that only one per cent of all scientific papers have accomplished. He has also contributed to the education and training of leading scientists around the world.

“I was groomed as a trainee to achieve the very best in my scientific career. I maintained a life-long bond with my supervisor until he passed away,” says Dr. Lala. “I always feel that I have the same responsibility for my trainees. It gives me great joy when they succeed as good, socially responsible scientists and educators.”

Dr. Lala has served on the editorial boards for seven scientific journals, was an associate editor of the American Journal of Anatomy, past President of the Canadian Association of Anatomists, Neurobiologists and Cell Biologists (CAANCB) and past Vice-President of the American Society of Reproductive Immunology (ASRI). He has been awarded with the JCB Grant Senior Scientist Awards from CAANCB in 1990 and a Research Excellence Award from Western University in 1996. In 2001, Queen’s University held an international symposium, cosponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in tribute to Dr. Lala and his research. In 2013, Western University conferred their highest honour on Dr. Lala – Doctor of Science (honoris causa).

“I feel great that I was chosen amongst so many deserving candidates for the Lawson Scientist Career Award,” says Dr. Lala. “The award belongs to all my trainees who contributed to the science being recognized.”