Dr. Samuel Weiss
Affiliations
Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Community Health Sciences
Full Member
Hotchkiss Brain Institute
Full Member
Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education
Full Member
O'Brien Institute for Public Health
Contact information
Phone number
Office: 403.210.7047
Location
Office: HMRB172
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Preferred method of communication
Admin Assistant
Marie-Claude Staudinger
E-mail: mcstaudi@ucalgary.ca
Tel: 403.210.7047
Background
Educational Background
B.Sc. Biochemistry, McGill University, 1978
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Calgary, 1983
Biography
Dr. Samuel Weiss is a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine.
In 1985, Dr. Weiss co-discovered the metabotropic glutamate receptor - an important target for pharmaceutical development in the treatment of mental illness. In 1992, Dr. Weiss discovered neural stem cells in the brains of adult mammals, for which he received a Gairdner International Award in 2008. Dr. Weiss was subsequently elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2009) and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2014).
As an academic leader, Dr. Weiss founded and was inaugural Director of the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (2004-2017). From 2017-2025, Dr. Weiss was Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health – Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction.
Between 2021-2025, together with Drs. Jo Henderson, Steve Mathias and Kyleigh Schraeder, Dr. Weiss established Canada’s first community-based learning health system in mental health – focused on Integrated Youth Services. The pan-Canadian Integrated Youth Services Learning Health System is now an unprecedented collaboration between all of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, in partnership with Indigenous communities.
In 2023, Dr. Weiss was inducted into the Canada's Medical Hall of Fame and appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.
Awards
- Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Senior Scientist Award, University of Calgary. 1998
- Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Senior Scientist Award, University of Calgary. 2003
- Presidents' Award in Life Sciences Research, Canadian Federation of Biological Societies. 2004
- Gairdner International Award, Gairdner Foundation. 2008
- Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Senior Scientist Award, University of Calgary. 2008
- Fellow, Life Sciences Division of the Academy of Science, Royal Society of Canada. 2009
- Innovations Award, Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2010
- Premier's Selection: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012
- Medal of Honour, Alberta Medical Association. 2014
- Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. 2014
- Arch Awards, Distinguished Alumni for Lifetime Achievement, University of Calgary. 2018
- Lecture of a Lifetime, University of Calgary. 2022
- Laureate, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, 2023
- Member of the Order of Canada, 2023
Publications
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