Dr. Brenda Andrews, 2025 Friesen Prize

Friends of CIHR is pleased to announce that Dr. Brenda Andrews, C.C., PhD, FRSC, pioneer in systems biology & Founding Director of Donnelly Centre, a leading multidisciplinary systems biology institute, is the recipient of the 2025 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.

Toronto – March 29, 2025 – Dr Brenda Andrews, C.C., PhD, FRSC, is an internationally renowned geneticist recognized for her functional genomics work in the budding yeast model system. She is known particularly for her studies on cell cycle-regulated transcription and protein kinase function in yeast and for pioneering work with Charles Boone on genetic networks. This fundamental research established the power of systematic genetics for illuminating the roles of genes and their corresponding pathways and the importance of genetic interactions in cellular function, both in health and disease. Dr. Andrews’ leadership skills, as the inaugural Director of the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto (2004-2020), established the Donnelly Centre as a premiere institute internationally for interdisciplinary biomedical research and has helped solidify Canada’s reputation as a leader in post-genome biology and the emerging field of personalized medicine.