2006 Fry Medalist - Dr. Richard E. Peter

Dr. Richard (Dick) Peter is a world leader in comparative endocrinology, and especially in the area of neuroendocrine regulation of growth and reproduction in fish. Dr. Peter obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Calgary and his PhD from the University of Washington; his PhD supervisor being the late Professor Aubrey Gorbman, one of the founding fathers of comparative endocrinology. Dr. Peter joined the University of Alberta as a faculty member in 1971 and has served as the Chair of the Department of Zoology and Dean of the Faculty of Science. He has also been seconded to serve as full time Vice-President, Alberta Research Council (2002-2005) and CEO, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, Alberta (2005). His scientific achievements have been recognized provincially, nationally and internationally, for example, by the Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Science Award from the Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Award Foundation, election to the Royal Society of Canada, the Grace Pickford Medal at the Xth International Symposium of Comparative Endocrinology and by the naming of the opening plenary lecture in the quadrennial International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology as "The RE Peter Lecture". Dr. Peter has served the scientific community in Canada and internationally in many ways, including, service as a member of grant selection committees in both MRC and NSERC; as a member of editorial boards of General and Comparative Endocrinology, Biology of Reproduction and Zoological Science, as well as associate editor of Can. J. Zoology; and as presidents of the Canadian Society of Zoologists and the International Federation of Comparative Endocrinology Societies. Dr. Peter's CV currently lists more than 260 primary research articles in international journals. In addition to contribution to basic science, his research has also led to the development of the Ovaprim fish spawning kit used in inducing and synchronizing ovulation in fin fishes in aquaculture. Dr. Peter's laboratory has proven to be a fertile training ground for young scientists. He has trained a large number of successful graduate students and post-doctoral fellows; among them are some 30 odd who entered academia (including, 1 University President (Taiwan), 3 former/current Faculty Deans, 2 current Department Chairs and 2 former Chairs, and 1 CRC chair), a provincial Deputy Minister of Fisheries (India), and several successful scientists in private industry and government.

http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/faculty/richard_peter/index.php?Page=787