Dr. Ernest Murakami was born in Vancouver in 1931. He obtained his Bachelors in Immunology & Bacteriology and his MD from the University of British Columbia (UBC). UBC honoured him with the status of Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus for his efforts to further the education of colleagues.
Murakami retired as a family physician in 2008 following criticism of his research and treatment of Lyme Disease. His passion and interest in Lyme Disease began in 1994, with his first two cases in Agassiz and Hope. Over the years he has attended conferences on Lyme Disease and is the founder of the Dr. E. Murakami Centre for Lyme Research in Canada. Naturopaths in British Columbia and Ontario will finally be able to prescribe oral antibiotics for treatment of Lyme Disease starting this month.
Over the years, he has helped build the Hope Arena, Fraser Hope Lodge and fought for the preservation of the Fraser Canyon Hospital in Hope. Last month, he received a Making a World of Difference in 2013 award by the Physicians Round Table in Tampa Bay, Florida. Murakami was also recently honoured with the first-ever Chilliwack-Hope Citizenship Award for his outstanding contributions to his community.
- Contributed by Johanne Losier