Norman Miles Kneteman, M.S.M., Edmonton, Alberta
Gregory S. Korbutt, M.S.M., St. Albert, Alberta
Jonathan R.T. Lakey, M.S.M., Edmonton, Alberta
Raymond Victor Rajotte, M.S.M., Edmonton, Alberta
Edmond A. Ryan, M.S.M., Edmonton, Alberta
A.M. James Shapiro, M.S.M., Edmonton, Alberta
Garth L. Warnock, M.S.M., Vancouver, British Columbia
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
Referred to as the Islet Transplantation Group, this team of doctors developed a new treatment for diabetes. Known internationally as the Edmonton Protocol, the technique, announced in June 2000, consists of injecting healthy pancreatic islet cells into diabetics to restore control of blood glucose without any further need for daily insulin injections. The procedure also introduced a new combination of drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted cells. The breakthrough treatment pioneered by this team of doctors has received widespread international acclaim and is now being taught by health facilities around the world.