Western alumnus named new Vice-President (Research)

Following an international search, Western University has announced John Capone as its new Vice-President (Research). Currently serving his second term as McMaster University’s Dean of Science, Capone is recognized as an extraordinary academic leader and one of Canada’s foremost molecular biologists. Capone begins his five-year term on October 1, 2012.

“This is a key appointment at a period in Western’s history when we are determined to increase the impact and profile of our research activities on a national and global scale,” says Amit Chakma, Western’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “John brings a broad scope of relevant experience and the personal attributes needed to provide leadership in this critically important portfolio and we look forward to welcoming him to the London community as a key member of Western’s senior administrative team.”

In his new position at Western, Capone says he plans to build research capacity through faculty renewal, multi-disciplinary partnerships, embedding research at the undergraduate level and connecting research activity to educational excellence.

Capone obtained a BSc in Biochemistry from Western in 1978 and his PhD in Biochemistry from McMaster University in 1983.

From 1983 to 1986, he was a Medical Research Council of Canada Centennial Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He returned to McMaster as an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry in 1986 and was promoted to professor in 1995. Capone became Chair of the Department of Biochemistry in 1997 and was appointed McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences’ Associate Dean of Research in 2000. Following a five-year term, he was appointed Dean of McMaster’s Faculty of Science on July 1, 2005.

“Research is the cornerstone of internationalization, so for me, this is an outstanding opportunity to join a world-class university that has a clear vision of becoming a global leader,” says Capone. “Leadership at Western is forward-thinking and results-focused and being a part of that team is exciting and a privilege.”

An award winning scholar, Capone’s primary research interests focus on molecular studies of gene control and protein function in metabolic regulation and hormone action, and how these relate to viral infections and multi-factorial diseases such as cancer.