By: Liz Do, Abeer Khan
8 Jul, 2025
CIFAR Distinguished Fellow W. Ford Doolittle appointed Companion of the Order of Canada
July 8, 2025
Doolittle, a longtime member of the CIFAR community, has revolutionized our understanding of the evolutionary “tree of life.”
Ford Doolittle, an evolutionary and molecular biologist and CIFAR Distinguished Fellow, has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in recognition of his research, which has fundamentally altered our understanding of the origins of life.
The Order of Canada — among the highest honours any Canadian can receive — recognizes people from all sectors of society who’ve made “extraordinary and sustained contributions” to the country. Doolittle was one of two individuals announced as a Companion — the highest honour within the Order.
Doolittle was the founding Director of CIFAR’s program in Evolutionary Biology, which concluded in 2007 after laying the groundwork for much of today’s research in the field around the world. That year, he also played a key role in establishing the Integrated Microbial Biodiversity program and was a member of its Advisory Committee.
“The honour means a lot to me — sort of the capstone of a long career,” says Doolittle. “It’s been almost 54 years since I’ve had my job at Dalhousie University, and the 20 most productive years were when I was Program Director at CIFAR”.
Throughout his career, Doolittle challenged conventional ideas about DNA and the human genome. In the 1970s, he helped prove the then-controversial “endosymbiont hypothesis,” which explains how chloroplasts — plant cell structures where photosynthesis happens — originated. A decade later, he argued that much of DNA is “selfish” or parasitic, existing mainly to replicate itself. By the early 2000s, he proposed that gene-swapping, not Darwin’s “tree of life,” better explains the early evolution of life on Earth.
“CIFAR is proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of Professor Emeritus W. Ford Doolittle, whose scientific legacy is truly extraordinary,” says CIFAR President & CEO Stephen J. Toope. “His bold, paradigm-shifting thinking exemplifies CIFAR’s spirit and our commitment to advancing research that expands the boundaries of knowledge.
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