Presentation of the award winner, by Dr. Marie-Élise Parent, on behalf of the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics:

I am honoured to present the winner of the Geoffrey R. Howe Distinguished Contributions Award, Dr. Jack Siemiatycki. I have had the good fortune to work closely with him over the last 15 years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as a colleague and collaborator. I can think of no better recipient for this award.

Jack has made impressive contributions to the advancement of the field of epidemiology and biostatistics. His career as a cancer epidemiologist is anchored in Canada, but his scientific contributions easily reach the rest of the world. His sustained scientific leadership relates not only to field of the occupational and environmental causes of cancer, but also more generally to cancer aetiology.

Over the last 30 years, Jack Siemiatycki has primarily dedicated his research efforts to the identification of the preventable causes of cancer. Perhaps one of his most significant contributions relates to his pioneering and implementation, back in the early 1980s, of an entirely novel approach to assess exposure to environmental chemicals. Using the workplace as a window, he developed a methodological approach enabling the assessment of past exposure to occupational chemicals. This expert-based exposure assessment method is often referred to as the “Siemiatycki approach” and is now widely recognized as the reference method for population-based studies. Findings generated from numerous studies around the world have used this method to identify occupational risk factors for cancer, thereby contributing to the foundation for establishing preventative strategies.

In addition to his important methodological contributions, Dr. Siemiatycki’s research has generated a wealth of data concerning potential associations between several types of cancer and hundreds of different occupational exposures. Though these results are fairly recent, they have already made valuable contributions to evaluations conducted by the expert working groups of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). In fact, his are probably the most cited epidemiologic studies by the IARC expert groups. Results generated by Dr. Siemiatycki’s work have contributed directly to the prevention of cancer in the population, and this is one of the many reasons why I am so thrilled that he has been recognized with this award.

As one would expect given his wealth of experience and knowledge, Jack Siemiatycki is regularly called upon to contribute his expertise by chairing or participating in scientific and governing committees both at the national and international levels. He has held several prestigious appointments, including, among others, serving as a member of the Scientific Council at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (World Health Organization), as well as a member of the Joint Consultative Committee of the National Occupational Research Agenda for the US National Cancer Institute and US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. In addition, he has been at the heart of the promotion of epidemiological and biostatistics research in Canada. Indeed, between 1997 and 1999, he has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and then became the Society’s President from 2001 to 2003. Moreover, he was co-president of the Organizing Committee of the joint SER-CSEB meeting in 2005. This is just one more reason that he is such a worthy recipient of this award.

Despite what one would infer from looking at his impressive CV, Jack has found time for lighter yet no less worthy activities. He proudly boasts his publication of four children’s books, and his friends often praise his athletic achievements. His competitive nature on the tennis court and hockey rink is a well-known source of amusement for those who have been fortunate enough to witness it. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Jack Siemiatycki.