Appointed to the Order of Canada
We congratulate Dr. Connors on receiving the highest civilian honour that can be bestowed upon a Canadian. His outstanding achievements have enriched the lives of lymphoma patients across our nation.
History with Lymphoma Canada
Dr. Connors’ involvement with Lymphoma Canada dates back to our embryonic stage. When patients conceived of the idea of an organization to support lymphoma patients, they approached Dr. Connors for his wisdom and support. He provided both, and was integral in establishing a plan that brought Lymphoma Canada to fruition. He was also Lymphoma Canada’s first Chair of our Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Conors is now recognized as an Honourary Governor of Lymphoma Canada.
Biography
Dr. Connors received his MD from Yale University and did his Internal Medicine residency training and chief residency at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He then worked in the Indian Health Service in Alaska for two years before completing his Medical Oncology Fellowship at Stanford University under Dr Saul Rosenberg. He accepted a position in Medical Oncology at the BC Cancer Agency in 1981 and has been a member of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia since that time reaching the position of Clinical Professor in 1997.
Presently, he is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, at the University of British Columbia and the chair of the Lymphoma Tumor Group for the British Columbia Cancer Agency and focuses his clinical activities and research efforts in the area of understanding lymphoid cancers. He is recognized both nationally and internationally for his work in the field of lymphoma.
Dr. Connors’ roles include:
- Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
- Medical Oncologist, B.C. Cancer Agency
- Head, Provincial Lymphoma Tumour Group, B.C. Cancer Agency
- Clinical Director, B.C. Cancer Agency, Centre for Lymphoid Cancer
Dr. Connors has published over 450 peer-reviewed scientific articles addressing various aspects of research into lymphoid cancers. He has been awarded the Terry Fox Cancer Research Award by the British Columbia Medical Association, the Bernard L. Schwartz Memorial Award by the Scripps health system in San Diego, California, the Canadian Cancer Society John W. Whittick Memorial Award by the Saskatchewan Medical Association and the Karl Musshoff Award of the German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group, Cologne, Germany.
A fierce patient advocate, Dr. Connors has touched the lives of countless lymphoma patients and trained scores of hematologists who are sharing their knowledge to benefit patients across the country as well as internationally.
Recently, Dr. Connors retired from a long and distinguished career with BCCA in Vancouver.
