Division History, 2013–2016

Husband-and-wife doctors Richard Leigh and Margaret Kelly were looking for a change after studying and working at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “I knew of Bob Cowie and, being a fellow South African, that he would understand my background and my training,” said Leigh. Bob Cowie extended an invitation to visit in the summer of 2003.

Arriving on the Thursday of Stampede, Leigh was met by Cowie at the airport. “I remember that being a very persuasive act on his part, to let us know he took us pretty seriously. We were still just grad students in many ways at that point in our lives. No one else was giving us too much respect,” said Leigh.

Then, on another bitterly cold (-35°C) New Year’s Eve, Leigh and Kelly officially made Calgary their home. Leigh arrived in Calgary alone, while Kelly remained in Hamilton for another six months to complete her PhD. It was another fortuitous hire for respiratory medicine in Calgary.

Leigh arrived with a CIHR Clinician- Scientist award and began as an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary on January 1, 2004. During the first six months Leigh split his time between thesis writing and grant writing while working closely with David Proud who had been recruited two years earlier from Johns Hopkins to reinvigorate the Respiratory Research Group.

Soon, Leigh was also working with Cowie and Stephen Field in the Calgary Asthma and COPD program, eventually becoming the program’s Medical Director. Leigh also took on leadership positions with the Alberta and Canadian Lung Associations.

Ten years after arriving, Leigh saw an opportunity to take his leadership interest to new heights. Leigh was the first person to volunteer for the Division Head job!

“I wasn’t Division Chief for very long,” Leigh says. “I always feel like a bit of a fraud when I think of people like Bob Cowie, Chris Mody and Bill Whitelaw who have done such long tenures compared to me. Hopefully I didn’t run the ship into the rocks!”

In fact, Leigh was a fine captain, steering the division in the tradition of his mentors. In 2016, following a similar path to Guenter, Leigh’s leadership calling had him take the helm of the Department of Medicine in Calgary.