John Capone

Biography

As Vice President (Research), John oversees the research enterprise and mission at one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, providing leadership for Research Development & Services, Human Research Ethics, Animal Care & Veterinary Services, Western Research Parks and WORLDiscoveries. John earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1978 and his PhD in Biochemistry at McMaster University in 1983. He was a Medical Research Council of Canada Fellow and MRC Centennial Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1983-86 prior to returning to McMaster as an Assistant Professor and Senior Scientist of the National Cancer Institute of Canada in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. During his time at McMaster John held progressively senior administrative positions including Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Science, Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and two terms as Dean of the Faculty of Science prior to coming to Western University. In his role at Western, John is leading the efforts to become a more globally preeminent, research-intensive university by enhancing research excellence, impact and capacity, raising the stature nationally and internationally, expanding the number of areas that achieve excellence on the world stage. In this role, John continues to implement strategies and programs to enhance research excellence and scholarship across the full spectrum of disciplines at Western and its affiliated Institutions, in attracting, retaining and mentoring established and future research leaders, and in advancing interdisciplinary research strategies and partnerships to benefit the social, health, economic and cultural well-being of citizens in Canada and across the globe.

Research Interest

John’s primary research interests focus on molecular studies of gene control and protein function in metabolic regulation and hormone action as related to viral infections and such diseases as cancer. His research has been generously funded through operating grants from the MRC, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and the National Cancer Institute of Canada among other private and public sector agencies. He has published extensively in top peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to an array of national and international research organizations through scholarly and professional activities