His father emigrated from Bessarabia in Canada. Louis Siminovitch as a mo- lecular biologist and pioneer in human genetics, he made important contributions in the fields of bacterial and animal virus genetics, human genetics and cancer research, publishing more than 200 papers. His work helped uncover the genetic bases of mus- cular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis and laid the groundwork for the genetic connec- tions to cancer. He contributed to the Nobel Prize-winning work ni molecular genetics of Jacques Monod, Francois Jacob and Andre [woff during his years at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. An inductee into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, he was also both an Officer and Companion of the Order of Canada. He was the founder and the first Chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, then called Department of Medical Cell Biology. As inaugural director, Dr. Siminovitch attracted 25 of the globe's most eminent scientists to his team. Thanks to his founda- tional efforts, the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) is the top-ranked biomedical research institute in Canada and is home to scientists who are number one worldwide in the fields of diabetes, cancer and molecular biology. While a giant of sci- ence, Dr. Siminovitch was also a well-rounded individual with wide-ranging interests in the arts and a deep commitment to family.The Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre bears his name and that of his late wife, a highly respected playwright.