Researcher praised for vaccine development
Lorne Babiuk hopes to see polio and measles eradicated in his lifetime.
The University of Alberta scientist is a leading researcher in infectious diseases and vaccine development. He credits modern medicine with eradicating small pox that once killed millions.
He hopes to see similar successes with other common diseases plaguing humans and animals.
In recognition of his work, Babiuk recently received the Gairdner Award, a prestigious international award for research in medical science. The award includes a gift of $100,000.
“Vaccination seemed like the most effective way to reduce the economic losses as well as the pain and suffering from infectious diseases,” Babiuk said.
Read Also
First annual Ag in Motion Junior Cattle Show kicks off with a bang
Ag in Motion 2025 had its first annual junior cattle show on July 15. The show hosted more than 20…
“Historically, vaccines have been the most cost effective way of controlling infectious diseases of all other therapies combined.”
As a farm boy growing up at Canora, Sask., he witnessed the damage caused by brucellosis and tuberculosis in Canadian cattle. Vaccination, testing and culling positive animals eradicated the diseases in Canada.
Babiuk is considered a leading re-searcher in vaccine development and infectious diseases, particularly zoonotic diseases passed between animals and humans.
He also helped develop the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon, affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan.
He joined the University of Alberta in 2007 and helped establish the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology.
He oversaw the fundraising and design of InterVac at VIDO, a $140 million Level 3 biocontainment facility that is the largest of its kind in Canada. This facility opened last fall and has enabled researchers to work on highly infectious agents such as H1N1 influenza.
Babiuk does not spend much time in the laboratory anymore but remains passionate about the benefits of immunization.
Common diseases still exist among humans and animals, but researchers are finding better ways to deliver vaccines and reduce the need for antibiotics. A breakthrough came with needleless vaccines. It is often easier to inject an animal held in a chute, but sending the vaccine up an animal’s nose provides direct protection at the site of the infection.
This form of vaccination is also being given to children. It is especially useful in the developing world, where a shortage of needles often means they are reused, spreading disease even further.
Under development is a more effective one dose whooping cough vaccine. The recommended dosage is five in North America, but getting children to return for boosters is difficult.
Babiuk is also a champion against those who oppose vaccination because they think it causes autism.
“That has been proven over and over again that it does not cause autism,” he said.
Others believe in herd immunity, claiming if others are vaccinated there should be enough protection for all.
“They are wrong and they are putting their children at risk,” he said.
“Vaccines are not perfect. They may cause your arm to be a little bit sore, but would you rather have a sore arm than get the disease and die from it or be crippled for the rest of your life?”
On the livestock side, Babiuk was involved in the development of a vaccine against E. coli for cattle to prevent them from passing it in their manure. The cattle are not troubled with the bacteria, but people infected with E. coli may become seriously ill or die.
The future includes genetically modified vaccines and vaccines with better adjuvents that work as immune stimulants to broaden the response against disease.
Babiuk’s other work is collaboration on a global scale against zoonotic disease.
He is working with African scientists on Rift Valley fever spread by mosquitoes. A potentially fatal disease, it is not found in North America yet but could appear due to global travel and climate change.
“It may not come, but we want to be prepared if it comes,” he said.
Babiuk moves between human and livestock medicine at the university because disease agents know no boundaries.
“Those two fields are seamless because over 70 percent of the new diseases are transmitted from animals to humans,” he said.
“We have good examples of H1N1 came from humans and we have evidence it was transmitted to pigs. These infectious agents are extremely brilliant. They are nomadic and they select whoever they want.”
