Harold Copp

Dr. Douglas Harold Copp, CC, MD, Ph.D., LL.D, FRSC, FRS (January 16, 1915 - March 17, 1998) was a Canadian scientist who discovered and named the hormone calcitonin, which is used in the treatment of bone disease.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received his M.D. from the University of Toronto in 1939 and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1943. In 1950 he became the first head of the physiology department in the newly established Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia.

He was a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Canada.

Honours

In 1971 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1980.
In 1972 he was awarded the Flavelle Medal Award of the Royal Society of Canada.
In 1973 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Sciences from the University of Ottawa.
In 1980 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Sciences from the University of British Columbia.
In 1994 he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
In 2000 he was inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame.