Zoology professor receives 2023 NRC Killam Prize in Natural Sciences
March 20, 2023
UBC's Dr. Sally Otto, University Killam Professor and professor of zoology in the Faculty of Science, has received a 2023 NRC Killam Prize in Natural Sciences.
The National Killam Program announced today the 2023 Killam Prize and Dorothy Killam Fellowship winners, recognizing the inclusive collaborators, research leaders and barrier breakers who are driving the future of Canada.
“The achievements and aspirations of the 2023 Killam Laureates have a significant impact on our society,” said Maydianne Andrade, Chair, National Killam Selection Committee. “It was an honour to chair this decision process. The accomplishments of the Prize winners shape Canada’s place in the world. The research projects of the Fellowship recipients will inspire the next generation of research leaders.”
The Killam Prizes are awarded to active Canadian scholars who have distinguished themselves through sustained research excellence, making a significant impact in their respective fields of engineering, health sciences, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. A prize of $100,000 is awarded to each Killam Prize winner.
About Dr. Sarah Otto
Sarah (Sally) Otto is a Killam Professor and CRC Tier 1 Chair at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Otto is recognized globally for her many contributions to evolutionary biology. She has developed the mathematical foundation for the leading theory on the evolution of sexual reproduction in nature. Dr. Otto’s work has changed our understanding of the evolution of sexual reproduction and genome evolution. Dr. Otto is the world authority on a wide range of theoretical topics in evolution and has written the standard textbook on mathematical methods for ecology and evolutionary biology. Dr. Otto launched and directs the Liber Ero program, a Canadian-wide post-doctoral program supporting and developing leaders in conservation. During the pandemic, she has been a co-leader of the BC COVID-19 modelling group and CoVaRR-Net’s ‘computational biology and modelling’ pillar. Dr. Otto’s research has resulted in 200 publications and a book, with ~25,000 citations.
