Dr. Peter Backx

Biography

Peter Backx received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and DVM from the University of Guelph in fields including biophysics, chemistry, and veterinary medicine. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Calgary, specializing in cardiac physiology. He completed his postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University and joined the Department of Medicine there as an Assistant Professor in 1991. In 1993, he transitioned to the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor and Staff Scientist at the University Health Network. After retiring, he became an Emeritus Professor at the University of Toronto and is currently a Senior Scientist at the University Health Network and a Professor in the Department of Biology at York University. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Biology and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the American Heart Association. His research primarily focuses on ion transport, ion channels, and myocardial signaling in relation to heart disease, particularly atrial fibrillation. He has been awarded over $14 million in research funding and has supervised 26 graduate students and 17 post-doctoral fellows. Peter has published over 200 articles in leading journals and has delivered 180 distinguished talks internationally.

Research Interests

Experience