RI-MUHC Building Named in Honour of Dr. Phil Gold
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation is proud to announce the naming of the pavilion that houses the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) in honour of Dr. Phil Gold.
Dr. Gold is a renowned clinician-scientist who, along with Dr. Samuel Freedman, discovered in 1965 the first biomarker for cancer, found in 70 percent of cancer patients. His exceptional 60-year career at the MGH is an immense source of pride.
The building will now be known as the Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion.
One Man’s Impact: Dr. Phil Gold
Dr. Phil Gold is a pioneer in cancer research, whose discovery of the first biomarker for cancer the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), led to the development of the first blood test approved internationally for the detection and management of human cancer – the CEA blood test. The RI-MUHC pavilion at the MGH was built using funds from the sale of his blood test to Roche in 1973.
His work has had a significant impact on the lives of countless cancer patients around the world, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of clinicians and researchers.
Dr. Phil Gold is a recipient of numerous international awards and a host of honours, and he has been elected to many prestigious scientific organizations. He was named a Grand Officer of the Ordre national du Québec (2019), a Companion of the Order of Canada (1986), and a member of the Academy of Great Montrealers (1986).
The New Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on June 5 at the Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion, marking the official naming of the building. Representatives of the McGill University Health Centre, the RI-MUHC, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, and Dr. Gold’s family and colleagues attended the ceremony.
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation is honoured to pay tribute to Dr. Gold’s contributions to cancer research by renaming the Research Institute building after him. The Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion will serve as a lasting reminder of his groundbreaking work and its impact on the fight against cancer.
The naming of this building is part of the Honouring Dr. Phil Gold campaign: 60 Years of Discovery, Innovation and Care. The $6,5M raised thus far will ensure that his outstanding legacy lives on for years to come in the work of those he has trained and mentored.
“I know that I can count on the generosity of the community in which I have worked to provide the support that will allow our young scientists to continue to keep the Montreal General Hospital and McGill University at the leading edge of medical scientific advancement, internationally. It is needed now, more than ever,” said Dr. Phil Gold, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University.
We are truly pleased to see Dr. Gold honoured in this fashion because he is the epitome of a builder. Not only is he a former physician-in-chief at the Montreal General Hospital, professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University and scientist who revolutionized the field of oncology, but he has also been a caring physician and a generous leader who placed Montreal on the world stage for cancer research and shaped the RI-MUHC.
The Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion accommodates many of our researchers in the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, as well as those involved with clinical trials and translational research. It will also house new research programs in surgery robotics. I am delighted that this building is being named in honour of Dr. Gold, as a tribute to the years he has spent dedicating his life to scientific research, and to improving the health of Canadians.
The Dr. Phil Gold Pavilion will stand as a testament to his legacy of discovery, innovation and care. Dr. Gold is not only a brilliant researcher and an exceptional leader, but above all, an unmatched mentor. Everyone he has trained can attest to this, and that’s why his name truly belongs on this building.
