Dr. Ian C. P. Smith began his NRC career as a Research Officer. In 1987, he became Director General of the National Research Council of Canada Institute for Biological Sciences, Ottawa. In 1992, he founded the Institute for Biodiagnostics in Winnipeg as its first Director General. Research at the Institute focuses on the development and commercialization of medical devices for the non-invasive diagnosis of disease. Dr. Smith is dedicated to early detection and treatment of disease and using this knowledge to advance the state of medicine and the economy. He is a passionate mover for the commercialization of the products of research, has started nine companies with a present value of $300M, and has developed a 55,000 sq. foot commercialization centre to mentor biomedical entrepreneurs. In 2009, Dr. Smith was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada for his leadership in the advancement, development and commercialization of Canada’s diagnostic technologies, notably magnetic resonance imaging and its applications in the field of healthcare. In addition, Dr. Smith received the 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada which is presented to individuals who have displayed long-term excellence throughout their career in Canada's public service. He is past president of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB) and a member of advisory boards of various companies and agencies.