Awards
2009 summit award® recipients
THE CENTENNIAL
LEADERSHIP AWARD
Dr. Warren H. Finlay, P.Eng.
This award is presented to a Member of APEGGA who has attained the highest distinction relating to the science of engineering, geology or geophysics as an executive or director of an outstanding project or continuing enterprise in which the Member has conducted, guided or directed or was responsible for the practice of the specific profession. The recipient may have also attained the highest distinction because of invention, research or original work, or an outstanding or exemplary career in teaching the professions. an outstanding or exemplary career in teaching the professions.
Dr. Warren Finlay, P.Eng., has made contributions to the advancement of inhaled aerosols and drug delivery to the lungs that promise to increase life quality and life expectancy for millions of people. The reputation he has built over his career has earned him prestigious international awards as well as many research contracts with the international pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Finlay has succeeded in translating his research into practical applications. His lab, the Aerosol Research Laboratory of Alberta, assists companies around the world in the development of aerosol drug delivery systems. Several of Dr. Finlay’s 18 invention disclosures have active patents in addition to a number of international commercialization agreements and he has more than 100 highly-respected scientific papers in refereed journals, as well as the definitive textbook in his field.
His original research work in the field of pharmaceutical aerosols is characterized by its scientific rigor, as well as ground-breaking innovation. This innovation includes the development of non-invasive localized drug targeting in the lung; aerosol characterization methods; advanced lung deposition and drug concentration modelling; theoretical analysis of the fundamental physics of aerosol generation, delivery, and inhalation as well as parameters and functions that capture these complex mechanisms and allow a priori prediction of respiratory drug delivery in a given individual.
Dr. Finlay’s lab has also developed an idealized mouth-throat geometry, known as the Alberta geometry. It has been rapidly adopted worldwide and is progressively becoming an industry standard. This model has been used internationally by companies for testing inhaler prototypes, nuclear power plant worker safety, commercial computational fluid dynamics software, oral cavity odour studies and has been adopted by academic researchers worldwide.
He has demonstrated that interdisciplinary cooperation leads to an improved understanding and application of aerosol mechanics. His laboratory’s free online aerosol deposition calculator allows health professionals to readily use the sophisticated correlations his lab has published, while his collaborative projects show tremendous potential to aid in the treatment of lung cancer and cystic fibrosis.
Dr. Finlay’s legacy and impact in the area of pharmaceutical aerosols and inhalable materials is vast. He has shown tremendous leadership, and through his research group he has contributed to the education and training of many professors, scientists and Professional Engineers who currently occupy leading positions in this field.
Dr. Finlay has a B.Sc. (electrical engineering) and an M.Sc. (electrical engineering) from the University of Alberta, and a PhD (mechanical engineering) from Stanford University. He is a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta.
Honours, Awards and Distinctions
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Thomas T. Mercer Prize, jointly awarded by American Association for Aerosol Research and International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (2008)
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Alberta Ingenuity Fund Research Excellence Summit Award®, APEGGA (2006)
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Killam Annual Professorship, University of Alberta (2005-2006)
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First prize, Association of Health Technologies Industry 7th Innovation Research Contest (2004)
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Young Researcher Award, International Society of Aerosols in Medicine (2001)
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McCalla Award, University of Alberta (1995-1996)
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Sir James Lougheed Award of Distinction (1984-1986)
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APEGGA Gold Medal in Electrical Engineering (1983)
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Gold Medal in Engineering, Henry Birks & Sons Ltd. (1983)
Professional Affiliations and Activities
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Examiner, National and Provincial Technical Examinations (1990-present)
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Member, APEGGA (1983-present)
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Editor, Aerosol Science and Technology
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Member, Alberta Lung Association Medical and Scientific Section
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Member, Symposium chair, and Education Committee member, American Association for Aerosol Research
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Member, International Society for Aerosols in Medicine