John Dick

John Dick at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre proved the existence of cancer stem cells by demonstrating that human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is organized as a cellular hierarchy maintained by rare leukemia stem cells (LSCs) — a landmark discovery with profound implications for cancer biology. His work establishing the LSC concept, characterizing LSC surface markers, and demonstrating the critical importance of targeting LSCs for cure rather than bulk disease has been foundational for cancer stem cell biology across multiple diseases.