Celebrating Julia Levy (1934-2024)

By Sarah Anderson, PhD

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the greater UBC community honour the life of Julia Levy, who passed away on December 5, 2024. 

Levy received a bachelor’s degree in immunology and bacteriology from UBC, earned a PhD in experimental pathology from the University of London, and completed post-doctoral research in immunology at University College London. She then returned to UBC in 1959 as the first woman to hold a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, setting her on a lifelong path of trailblazing through male-dominated spaces. 

“It is to her credit that I did not think of Julia as a female faculty member, but rather as one of the most astute and effective colleagues,” said Bob Hancock, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at UBC. “She was a powerhouse in her own right.”

Levy’s interest in light-sensitive compounds led her to investigate photodynamic therapy (PDT), in which a toxic compound is activated with light in order to damage abnormal cells and tissue in a specific area of the body. This research proved to have potential beyond the bench, and in 1981 she cofounded the biopharmaceutical company Quadra Logic Technologies (QLT, Inc.). Her team developed the PDT drugs Photofrin for bladder, esophageal, and non-small cell lung cancer and Visudyne for age-related macular degeneration. Visudyne was a breakthrough in the ophthalmology field, offering the first treatment for the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. “Being part of something which started out as fascinating science and ended up effectively changing the lives of thousands of people is an incredible experience,” said Levy in a convocation speech she delivered at UBC. “I feel truly blessed to have been part of that.” 

Commercialization of Levy’s discoveries launched QLT, Inc. to billion-dollar status, its success cementing UBC’s reputation as a global leader in cutting-edge science and fueling the emerging entrepreneurial scene in Vancouver. Furthermore, the royalties from the company provided enormous financial returns to support teaching and research at the university. 

“[Julia] showed that as an academic, it is possible to successfully collaborate and partner with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to bring new products to market,” said Helen Burt, Professor Emeritus of Pharmaceutical Sciences and former Associate Vice President of Research and Innovation at UBC. “She definitely inspired me to want to be an innovator in terms of developing controlled and targeted drug delivery systems.” 

In leading her academic research lab, Levy nurtured the next generation of pioneer scientists. “She was an original and to see what she had achieved in that era, it was amazing. She imparted that spirit to all of her trainees,” said Stephen Yip, a former PhD student of Levy and a clinician-scientist at UBC, Vancouver General Hospital, and BC Cancer. “She was supportive of my entry to the combined MD-PhD program, which at that time was still very much a novelty.”

Modestus Obochi, a former PhD student of Levy and Chief Business Officer of the biotechnology company Sernova, described her immense impact throughout and beyond his graduate studies. “As a mentor, Julia was incredibly generous with her time, helping me approach challenges from every angle and think through solutions. But she was more than just a mentor — she was a guiding light, a role model, and someone I cherished like a mother and a best friend. She was my go-to person for every major career decision I made, and I cannot begin to imagine who I would have become without her profound influence,” he said. 

Upon her retirement, Levy remained an active advisor to the biotechnology community and provided guidance to new life science start-ups through UBC’s Sauder School of Business. Her contributions have been recognized through appointment to the Royal Society of Canada and the Order of Canada, several prestigious awards for advancement in vision care, and the Chemical Institute of Canada’s Julia Levy Award for successful commercialization of innovation in the field of biomedical science and engineering.

Learn more about Levy in her memoir In Sight: My Life in Science and Biotech.