Pioneer in neuropsychopharmacology named to the Order of Canada

Order of Canada recipient Glen Baker. Photo supplied.

A small farming community in central Saskatchewan may seem like an unlikely starting point for a long and distinguished career studying neurochemistry and neuropsychopharmacology.

But for a young Glen Baker, growing up in Watrous in the 1950s and 1960s was the perfect incubator for a career in academia.

“Watrous was small, with a population of about 1,200 people when I lived there, but we had great teachers,” says Baker, who worked in the University of Alberta’s psychiatry department for more than four decades before retiring in 2017 and becoming a professor emeritus. “Small towns in the prairies are wonderful places in which to grow up, and I am fortunate to have come from Watrous.” 

Baker’s pioneering contributions as a researcher, administrator and mentor in the field of neuropsychopharmacology — which combines various neuroscience techniques to study how drugs affect the central nervous system — were recognized on Dec. 28, when he was appointed officially as a member of the Order of Canada.

“It was a surprise because it came out of nowhere for me. In November, I received an email message from an analyst associated with the Order of Canada asking if they could speak to me on the phone. I didn’t know I’d been nominated or who had nominated me,” says Baker.  “I’d like to find out who did it and thank them.”

Don’t bet against Baker solving that mystery. He’s spent an entire career finding answers in an evolving field. But Baker, 76, says he has benefited from working with a lot of great people throughout his career.

“I’ve worked in the Department of Psychiatry for more than four decades. During that time,  I have had wonderful opportunities to interact with some tremendous colleagues, both at the U of A as well as across Canada and even internationally,” says Baker, who also served as President of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology during his career.

Baker’s academic career started at the University of Saskatchewan, where he completed a ​Bachelor of Pharmacy and an MSc in Pharmacy (medicinal chemistry), followed by a PhD in Biological Psychiatry in 1974. After graduation, he moved to England to work as a  Medical Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellow in the MRC Neuropharmacology Unit at the University of Birmingham Medical School.

“While I was over there, Dr. Bill Dewhurst, who was the chair of the U of A’s Department of Psychiatry at the time, got in touch with me,” he says. “I wound up returning to Canada and started as an honorary assistant professor in 1977.”

Baker, who studied the mechanisms of action and metabolism of drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, is not a psychiatrist, but always felt welcomed in the Department of Psychiatry and served as the department’s chair in the early 2000s. 

His unique background in pharmacy, pharmacology and neurochemistry was important in co-founding the Neurochemical Research Unit (NRU) at the U of A in 1979 with Dr. Dewhurst and Dr. Ron Coutts, a senior professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Since the unit was established, dozens of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows have gone through it and have gone on to achieve great things through their work in academia, industry, clinical care and administration. The NRU has also benefited from the wonderful technologists and other support staff who have worked there.  

“I have enjoyed my work, but probably the most rewarding part has been seeing the young people who worked at the NRU as well as psychiatry residents go on to advance in their careers,” says Baker, who led the NRU until 2013. “And from my perspective, it’s gratifying to see the NRU’s work continue under the leadership of Director Dr. Ian Winship and Associate Director Dr. Kathryn Todd.”

Baker also finds it satisfying to see how research in neuroscience and mental health has continued to advance with interdisciplinary approaches. A fine example is the research conducted by members of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI) at the U of A. Baker was one of the initial members of the Institute when it first started as a Division in the 1980s.  

“We’ve been studying the brain for many decades, and the advances in sophisticated techniques made by neuroscientists have been impressive,” he says. 

“But we still need better treatments for psychiatric and neurologic disorders, including the development of more drugs with fewer side effects. Having a collaborative approach to studying these disorders is where science is going to continue to advance.  We are fortunate at the U of A to have outstanding experts in multiple  areas related to neuroscience and mental health, and I was very fortunate to  have the opportunity to interact with many of them over the years.”