Dr. Alp Sener named the inaugural Andrew Lazarovits Chair in Immunobiology and Transplantation
Dr. Alp Sener (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry photo)
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Alp Sener, MD, PhD, FRCSC, has been named the inaugural Andrew Lazarovits Chair in Immunobiology and Transplantation at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, and London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), effective March 1, 2024, to February 28, 2029.
The research chair is funded by Lawson Health Research Institute and London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and matched by Western University, for a total of $3 million. The chair will support expanding research capacity and provide leadership between the hospital and university to build on the legacy of Dr. Andrew Lazarovits’ work.
The inaugural chair, Dr. Sener, will continue as the head of urology at Schulich Medicine, LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, and as a surgeon and researcher with LHSC’s Multi-Organ Transplant Program.
In 1994, Dr. Alp Sener graduated with a degree in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin, U.S. He received his PhD in renal physiology in 1999, followed by his MD in 2002 from the University of Calgary. Dr. Sener completed his residency in urology at Western University and became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2007. He spent two years at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, U.S., as the American Society of Transplant Surgeons/Novartis Fellow in Transplantation. During his time in Maryland he was trained in kidney and pancreas transplantation and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in transplant immunology. In 2009, Dr. Sener joined the Departments of Surgery and Microbiology & Immunology at Schulich as a clinician-scientist.
Currently, Dr. Sener is a Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Urology and the Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology. He is the Keith and Leanne Lavergne Chair, Division Head & Chief of Urology. He has held various leadership positions in the Department of Surgery, including the Chair of the Research Committee, Director of the Urology Residency Program and the Director of the Kidney & Pancreas Transplant Fellowship Program.
Dr. Sener has received numerous awards for his research contributions at local, national, and international levels, including the Schulich Dean’s Award of Excellence, the inaugural Dr. John Sangster Research Award for Excellence from the AMOSO Governing Committee, the Canadian Society of Transplantation Research Excellence Award, and the Vanguard Award from the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.
Dr. Sener is the Founder of the Canadian Association of Chairs of Surgical Research and is heavily involved in promoting research and education through his national and international leadership roles across various urology and transplant organizations, including immediate past-President of the Urological Society for Transplantation and Renal Surgery.
Dr. Sener’s laboratory has pioneered the use of hydrogen sulphide in mitigating organ injury associated with transplantation. His laboratory is also using hydrogen sulphide in modulating neovascularization and metastasis in renal cell carcinoma and bladder cancer, as well as in reducing tissue fibrosis following chronic urinary obstruction.
Dr. Sener is passionate about mentorship and about bringing people from various backgrounds together to form successful collaborative teams. He has trained over 60 students in his laboratory and has been continuously funded with over $16 million in operating funds as a Principal Investigator (PI) and a Co-PI from various funding agencies including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Dr. Sener’s drive stems from the principle of consistently striving to enhance tasks and deliverables. Dr. Sener’s guiding principle forms the foundation of his research program, leadership style, and teaching methods.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Sener on being named as the inaugural Andrew Lazarovits Chair in Immunobiology and Transplantation.
Sincerely,
John Yoo, MD, FRCS(C), FACS
Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University
Cathy Vandersluis
President, University Hospital
London Health Sciences Centre
