USask researcher and respirologist to be inducted into Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

He will be formally inducted at a ceremony in April 2027 in Montreal.

CMHF recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to medicine and health.

Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Cockcroft has transformed how asthma and respiratory care are managed around the world. Since joining the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in 1977, he has built a research program focused on asthma and allergy.

When asked about being named to the CMHF Class of 2027, he said it was an “exciting and unexpected honour.”

Cockcroft established the methacholine challenge method, a standard test used worldwide to measure airway responsiveness. Among the research contributions he is most proud of are discoveries that deepened understanding of asthma as an inflammatory disease and influenced modern approaches to asthma treatment.

“We demonstrated that allergen exposure in the lab could increase airway hyper-responsiveness, helping establish asthma as primarily an inflammatory disease,” said Cockcroft. “We also demonstrated that regular use of inhaled beta agonists, such as salbutamol, made the airways twice as responsive to allergens. Those findings helped explain why regular use of bronchodilator medications can worsen asthma and contributed to treatment guidelines that recommend minimizing their use.”

In addition, he developed the Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance equation, a globally-recognized measure of assessing kidney disease. 

“Through his research, Dr. Cockcroft has helped shape the methods to care for those with asthma. In addition, his research collaborations go well beyond the aforementioned lines of research. He has been instrumental in most asthma research conducted in the province of Saskatchewan over the past 40 years. This has included biomedical, population based, and clinical studies. He has been involved in research from the bench to the bedside to the population and back again,” wrote Dr. Baljit Singh, USask Vice President Research, in his nomination letter supporting Cockcroft’s induction.

Cockcroft has also made significant contributions to education, through training and mentoring the next generation of health-care professionals including undergraduate students, medical residents and post-doctoral fellows. He has been recognized as both a USask Distinguished Researcher and a Distinguished Professor, and has served in leadership, editorial, peer-review, and advisory roles at the local, national and international levels.

Cockcroft earned his medical degree at the University of British Columbia, and completed internal medicine residency in Montreal, followed by further sub-specialty training in Vancouver and at McMaster, before joining USask as a faculty member in 1977.

Throughout his career, Cockcroft has received numerous honours from professional societies, community organizations, and other external bodies in recognition of his contributions to respiratory medicine and patient care. His research on asthma and allergic medicine has left a lasting impact and continues to transform the field.