Following in his footsteps: Father and son pursue similar careers, both awarded Order of Canada
On Father's Day, some people think back on the advice their dads gave them.
For Dr. James Hogg, he had one key piece of advice for his kids: follow your passion.
"Try and find something to do that you like and you can become passionate about because then it doesn't seem like hard work, it seems like more like a hobby," he said.
He speaks from experience.
Hogg is at the top of his field in lung disease research and received the Order of Canada in 2005 for his work.
He's the founder of the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation at St. Paul's Hospital and, at 83, is still working full-time in his tiny office there.
But he didn't expect his son, Dr. Robert Hogg, to follow in his footsteps quite so precisely.
"I suggested it to him once and he said, 'Dad, I look at how hard you're working and I don't want any part of it," Hogg said.
"Now, that he's found something that he likes, he works as hard as I ever did."
The younger Hogg, 58, is a researcher with St. Paul's Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and a professor at Simon Fraser University.
He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2018 for his influential research.
"What I love about my dad is he tiers his advice over the years; he has certain advice at different times," said Robert Hogg.
When he was younger, the advice was about figuring out his passions and following them. Later in his career, his father offered wisdom about maintaining that passion.
"He has gone through a lot of the things I'm going through at different times," he said.
Yet Robert Hogg said he doesn't think he'll take exactly the same trajectory as his dad.
"Even at 83, he is making significant contributions to the field and I think, at 83, I will not be doing that for sure," he said.
"I'm always amazed and proud of what he's accomplished throughout his life."
