Henry Friesen’s discovery of the human pituitary hormone prolactin and its role in health and disease, defining it as a major cause of infertility, and his collaborating with others in the introduction of new therapies have resulted in the effective treatment of tens of thousands of women worldwide. Dr. Friesen has published over 400 papers and mentored more than 80 post-doctoral fellows and graduate students. In the 1990's, Dr. Friesen served Canada with great distinction as the seventh President of the Medical Research Council of Canada and set the stage for its transformation into the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He has received many distinguished awards, including a Gairdner Foundation International Award in 1977 and 2001, the McLaughlin Medal of the Royal Society of Canada, the Koch Medal: the highest award of the Endocrine Society, the Order of Canada (promoted to Companion in 2001), the Order of Manitoba, eight honorary degrees, and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2001. He is also a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A.