Wee Yong

Professor Voon Wee Yong

Ph.D.

Positions

Full Professor

Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurosciences

Full Member

Hotchkiss Brain Institute

Associate Member

The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases

Member

Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute

Contact information

Web presence

Phone number

Office: 403.220.3544
Lab: 403.220.8965

Preferred method of communication

Admin Assistant

Tanna Giroux

Email: tgiroux@ucalgary.ca

Office: 403.220.4592

Background

Educational Background

B.S. Pharmacology, Victoria University Manchester, 1981

Doctor of Philosophy Pharmacology, University of British Columbia, 1986

Biography

Dr. Wee Yong is a Professor at the University of Calgary. He leads the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Brain and Mental Health Team of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the university and he directs the provincial Alberta MS Network. Dr. Yong is a past chair of the Medical Advisory Committee of the MS Society of Canada. He has been the President of the International Society of Neuroimmunology, and he continues to co-direct its Americas and Global Schools of Neuroimmunology. Dr. Yong’s research interests lie in the area of neuroimmunology, neuroprotection and CNS regeneration, and his projects are guided by MS and brain tumors. He has published 340 peer-reviewed manuscripts and his research has been translated into Phase II and III clinical trials in MS; his team has initiated a Phase I/IIa trial in glioblastoma. His work has been cited over 33,000 times (h-index of 102) according to Google Scholar. Dr. Yong is an elected fellow of both the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada. He received the 2017 Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine for transformational discoveries in MS. Dr. Yong was singly profiled in the August 2021 issue of the world’s #1 clinical neurology journal, Lancet Neurology.

Research

Areas of Research

Area of Focus
  • neuroimmunology
  • neuroprotection
  • CNS regeneration
  • MS and brain tumors
Summary of Research

Dr. Yong’s research interests lie in the area of neuroimmunology, neuroprotection and CNS regeneration, and his projects are guided by MS and brain tumors. Dr. Yong has published 280 peer-reviewed manuscripts and his research has been translated into Phase III clinical trials in MS, spinal cord injury and glioblastoma. His work has been cited over 18,000 times (Web of Science, h index: 76) by other authors in scientific publications.

Awards

  • GREATSupervisor Award, University of Calgary. 2020
  • Telemachus Distinguished Mentorship Award (Clinician Investigator Program), 2020
  • Killam Research Award, University of Calgary. 2019
  • Killam Graduate Supervision and Mentorship Award, University of Calgary. 2018
  • Allyn Taylor International Prize in Medicine, 2017
  • Researcher of the Month, Canadians for Health Research. 2017
  • Smith Distinguished Award for Senior Faculty, Cumming School of Medicine. 2015
  • Peak Scholar, The University of Calgary. 2015
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Canada. 2014
  • Order of the University, University of Calgary. 2014
  • Killam Annual Professorship, University of Calgary. 2013
  • Fellowship, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. 2010
  • U Make A Difference, University of Calgary. 2009
  • Compelling Calgarian, Calgary Herald. 2008
  • National Certificate of Merit, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. 2000
  • Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Year Medallion, 2000
  • Cochrane Distinguished Achievement Award , Cumming School of Medicine. 2000