The research community has lost a passionate and eloquent advocate through the death of Dr. Keith Brimacombe on Dec. 16, in Vancouver of a heart attack. It was only this past October that he assumed the tremendous challenge of becoming the president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). My sense is that this was an inspired choice of the right person at the right place at the right time.

Having known Keith since we were graduate students in the U.K., I have long admired his dedication to excellence in all his work, his ability to link that research to real needs, his dedication to mentoring young researchers, and his passionate view that research in all fields is important for the country. He really felt privileged that he had been able to pursue his research interests through support from NSERC and other sources, and he went into the CFI job in large measure because he felt it was time to "give whatever he could back into the community." He will be missed.

PAUL HOUGH
Executive Director,
Canadian Federation of Biological Societies & Chair,
Canadian Consortium for Research