Celebrating world-renowned infectious disease researcher, Dr. Francis Plummer

September 13, 2022 —

In the 1980s, Dr. Francis (Frank) Plummer changed the way the world understood HIV/AIDS and laid a path for prevention and treatment. dr Plummer was a UM MD/76 graduate, Distinguished Professor of Medical Microbiology and Canada Research Chair in Resistance and Susceptibility to Infections. His lifelong research influenced the development of public health treatments and strategies to combat infectious diseases such as SARS, H1N1 and Ebola, which are still used around the world today.

dr Plummer was immortalized last week with a new bust unveiled at Innovation Plaza to inspire students and faculty with a tangible reminder of the highest standards of excellence at UM. “DR Frank Plummer was a paragon of excellence in research, which we all aspire to,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas, UM Vice President (Research and International). “From Winnipeg to Nairobi and around the world, his contributions have touched the lives of tens of thousands rescued by people and it is wonderful to see him joining the illustrious group here at the Innovation Plaza.”

The other researchers in the square are Dr. John M. Bowman, Dr. Baldur Stefansson, Dr. Henry Bruce Chown and Dr. Carol Shields.

memory of an icon

Frank Plummer was born in Winnipeg in 1952 and received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba in 1976. He continued his training in internal medicine and infectious diseases for many years at the University of Southern California and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

dr Plummer was just 29 years old when he accepted a research position at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, in 1981 as part of a partnership with the University of Manitoba, which specialized in sexually transmitted infections. In their own work, while studying patients in Nairobi, the research team discovered a link to a growing epidemic in Africa.

“Certain sexually transmitted diseases, especially herpes, chancre or syphilis, allow the AIDS virus to be transmitted more efficiently,” explained Dr. Plummer in a 1987 CBC interview. “One can hardly exaggerate the problem in central Africa, where between 10 and 20% of young adults are infected with the virus, but otherwise healthy and active people.” Plummer also found hope.

An ongoing study among sex workers in Nairobi identified a small cohort who possessed natural immunity to HIV-1, the virus that leads to AIDS. Over the next 17 years, Dr. Plummer and his team pioneered the development of the life-saving HIV vaccine and drugs that have improved the quality of life for people living with HIV.

dr Frank Plummer.

Upon his return to Canada, Dr. Plummer was appointed Scientific Director General of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in 2000. There he played a leading role in Canada’s response to the SARS pandemic in 2003 and the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009. He would also help lead the development of the Ebola vaccine, which was developed in response to the outbreak in West Africa is used.

During his illustrious career, Dr. Plummer has also served as senior scientific advisor to the Public Health Agency of Canada and as director general of the Center for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control in Ottawa. He has been honored with many awards, including Officer of the Order of Canada, the Order of Manitoba, both the McLaughlin and Flavelle Medals from the Royal Society of Canada, and four honorary degrees.

dr Plummer has also been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the life sciences with the Prix Galien Research Award, the Rh Institute Award, the St Boniface Hospital Research Foundation International Award, the Canada Council for the Arts Killam Prize, and the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award.

dr Frank Plummer passed away suddenly in 2020 while living in Nairobi, Kenya on April 40^th Anniversary of the Manitoba/Kenya research cooperation.

“The breadth of Frank Plummer’s scientific reach was greater than that of any other scientist I know,” Keith Fowke, director of UM Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, told Research Manitoba. “That made him a great leader at the NML, he knew the clinical situation, the epidemiology of disease spread and he understood the basics of the science. It was really important to have someone at the helm who could see the bigger picture of infectious diseases.”

dr Fowke worked for more than 30 years with Dr. Plummer in Nairobi and Manitoba and nominated him for the Innovation Plaza honor. The bust of Dr. Plummer was announced September 8 by UM President Dr. Michael Benarroch and Dr. Digvir Jayas revealed^th2022.

Innovation Plaza was established in 2013 to celebrate and honor University of Manitoba academic staff who have demonstrated sustained excellence and global impact and influence through a series of research, scholarly, or creative activities with a series of commemorative busts. The project was made possible through the vision and leadership of the Richardson Foundation.

UM Today staff