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Irene Uchida
Born in 1917, Irene Ayako Uchida grew up in east end Vancouver. English was here primary language,
although her father owned a Japanese language bookstore on Powell Street, in the city's 'Little Tokyo'.
Irene studied at the University of British Columbia and, in 1938, helped launch The New Canadian, an
English-language newspaper, edited and written by Nisei. In 1942, the Uchidas were interned in Lemon
Creek where Irene served as the principal of the elementary school. After the war, her father
repatriated to Japan to rejoin her mother and sisters.
Irene Uchida received a PhD in 1951 from the University of Toronto. She has been director of medical
genetics at Winnipeg Children's Hospital and professor of pediatrics and pathology at McMaster University.
A resident of Burlington, Irene Uchida was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1993 for her
contributions of genetic science.
Irene Uchida receiving the Order of Canada (photo: Rideau Hall, Ottawa)
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