Michael Houghton

Dr. Houghton is the recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice for their discovery of Hepatitis C (HCV). He is an international leader in viral hepatitis and is currently a full professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Alberta and the Director of the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute. He is performing research in virology and immunology in HCV vaccination, anti-viral and anti-cancer therapy. He is passionate about the application of biomedical research to prevent disease. He was a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology from 2010-2018. His research has led to improved blood safety and HCV treatment which has impacted millions of lives worldwide. He previously worked at G.D. Searle and Chiron Corporation. His work with colleagues at Chiron and the CDC was largely responsible for its growth into the 3rd largest U.S.-based biotech in the 1990s. He has authored more than 300 research publications and has more than 70 patents to his name. He is the recipient of various honors and awards including the Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award, Robert Koch Prize, William Beaumont Prize, Lasker Award, Dale A. Smith Memorial Award, Hepdart Lifetime Achievement Award.