Philip Seeman

Biography

As one of the world’s most respected antipsychotic drug scientists, Dr. Seeman worked with the University of Toronto, Department of Pharmacology since 1967, and served as Chairman between 1977 and 1987. His work between 1964 and 1974 on the membrane actions of drugs led him to the discovery of the antipsychotic receptor, now re-named the dopamine D2 receptor. This research forms an experimental basis for the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia. In 1990-91, Dr. Seeman and his research group, including H.B. Niznik, H. Van Tol and R. Sunahara, cloned three dopamine receptors: D1, D4 and D5. He has trained over 100 graduate students and Fellows. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has received 23 awards, including the Lieber Award of NARSAD (the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression), the Stanley Dean Award of the American College of Psychiatrists, the Tanenbaum Award for Schizophrenia Research from the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation, the first Prix Galien award in North America, the Pasarow Foundation award in Neuropsychiatry, and the Killam Prize in Health Sciences from the Canada Council. Dr. Seeman received a B.Sc. and an M.D. from McGill University. He received a Ph.D. in Life Sciences in 1966, working with Dr. George Palade (1974 Nobel Laureate, Medicine/Physiology) at Rockefeller University. In 2002, Dr. Philip Seeman received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Toronto and also was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour.

Research Interest

discovery of the antipsychotic receptor