Meet CFBS Executive Director

Dr. Gabrielle H. M. Adams

Updated: November 12, 2007

Dr. Gabrielle Adams has been appointed the Executive Director of CFBS effective January 15, 2008. Prior to this appointment, she had a long career at the National Research Council in Ottawa. She was the Director General of the Institute for Biological Sciences for almost 14 years. In that position, she was responsible for strategic and operational planning, program implementation, resource management and performance. Under her direction and leadership, effective partnerships were established with academia, other government departments and agencies and the private sector in the areas of focus for the Institute: infectious diseases and age-related neurological disorders.

As a senior manager within NRC, Dr. Adams was also involved in elements of overall planning and policy setting for the Council, especially for the Life Sciences portfolio. She represented NRC at various federal inter-departmental committees, including those for the Canadian Biotechnology Strategy and CRTI, and served on a selection panel for CFI in its previous competition. She worked closely with the Ottawa life sciences community and served on the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Life Sciences Council.

Between 1982 and 1993, Dr. Adams held various positions within the Institute for Biological Sciences in Administration, as Laboratory Head for Medical Biosciences, Director of Business Development and Acting Director General. For over six years, she also managed the publishing office of the NRC Research Press.

Dr. Adams has a background in molecular and cell biology, having graduated with a BSc from McMaster University and a PhD from Carleton University. Her research work, carried out at Carleton University and the National Research Council, was on the role of histones and their modifications in differentiation and cell maturation.

Dr. Adams recently retired from her position in the National Research Council. In that position, she had the opportunity to deal with CFBS on numerous occasions, including representing NRC at the Strategic Planning Sessions. She has an excellent understanding of the role of CFBS and will definitely play an important role in its future. We are honoured that in her retirement from NRC, Dr. Adams is enthusiastic about promoting Canadian Science to our policy makers.

Dr. Bruce Sells has also agreed to continue on as Executive Director Emeritus for a period of time, so this will definitely help Dr. Adams move into her new position.

Meet CFBS Executive Director - Emeritus

Dr. Bruce H. Sells, FRS(C)

In April 1999 Dr. Bruce Sells was appointed CFBS' Executive Director. During his career he has been a researcher and teacher with extensive experience in administration. His investigative work in molecular biology focused on ribosome biogenesis. His group developed numerous collaborations with laboratories in the U.S.A. and Europe.

He has received numerous awards including a Damon Runyon Fellowship, a Senior Killam Fellowship and holds fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada. He has held appointments at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, Memorial University of Newfoundland, School of Medicine, where he was Professor and Director of Molecular Biology and subsequently Associate Dean, Basic Medical Sciences.

In 1982 he was appointed Professor of Molecular Biology and Dean, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph. He served with a number of Granting Agencies on various committees and was a member of MRC Council. His research career spanned more than 40 years during which time he trained fifty graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and has an extensive publication record.