Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: September 24, 2021
• Invested on: October 26, 2023

Eleanor N. Fish, C.M
Toronto, Ontario

Eleanor Fish is a pioneer in the development of treatments for viral infections. A professor of immunology at the University of Toronto, she discovered how interferon, a naturally occurring protein, can be used to treat a range of viral infections, including SARS, H1N1, avian flu, Ebola and SARS-CoV-2. She made groundbreaking strides in the management of Ebola outbreaks and trained numerous front-line health care practitioners throughout Africa. Her innovative research on SARS led to an interferon treatment protocol sanctioned by the World Health Organization, which has also proven effective in treating COVID-19.