Greater integration of clinical research with other aspects of the university, increasing community profile and advocating for a new facility are at the top of the list for the newly appointed dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Dr. Michael Strong says he is “humbled” and “excited” by the appointment and looks forward to building on the legacy of Dean Carol Herbert, who will have completed two terms and 11 years as dean when her term expires in June.
Dr. Michael Strong
Strong will serve as dean until 2015.
One of his priorities is to find new space for growing programs in a school “bursting at the seams.”
“Everybody needs space. At Schulich, it is a critical issue … We need to have a new medical school facility.”
Locally, Strong calls Schulich “the game in town” for training the next generation of health-care professionals for southwestern Ontario. The school has built an impressive reputation, but Strong wants to add to its international profile.
By the time today’s students graduate, they will be confronted with the challenges of an aging population. He feels there is potential for Schulich to become a global leader in caring for this demographic.
“We could really be the centre for asking questions about ‘how do we deal with those social issues?'” he says. “We have a social responsibility in helping to come up with new models to deal with that.”
A personal goal is to promote the school within the community and create “a sense of ownership” among those who benefit from its research and graduates.
Strong brings to the position an extensive record in clinical education and practice, research and service and feels he acts as a role model for how to integrate science and research with clinical practice.
While the two key disciplines under his new portfolio may be different, Strong sees many connections between medicine and dentistry. The leadership provided by director of Schulich Dentistry, Dr. Harinder Sandhu, will help Strong – as someone coming from a medical background – in dealing with issues related to the school’s other half.
Schulich’s satellite campus in Windsor will continue to be treated as an extension of the London location, not as a competitive institution, he notes. Recent administrative changes are natural growing pains, he says, adding he’s confident in the program under the leadership of Dr. Jim Silcox, acting associate dean.
Born in Windsor and hailing from Leamington, Strong undertook undergraduate training in biochemistry and medicine at Queen’s University, neurology training at The University of Western Ontario, and postgraduate training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
He is currently Chief of Neurology and Co-Chair of the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at LHSC and Western, Director of the London Motor Neuron Diseases Clinic at the London Health Sciences Centre, the Arthur J. Hudson Chair in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research (ALS), and a scientist at the Robarts Research Institute.
“Michael Strong will be a superb leader for the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry,” says Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Fred Longstaffe, chair of the selection committee.
“He has an impressive array of experience and accomplishment in so many of the key areas required for inspired leadership in medical and dental education and research. Mike has the vision to lead the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry to even greater heights.”
“Under Dean Herbert’s leadership, the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has become a centerpiece of success at The University of Western Ontario and is a key contributor to the present and future well-being of London, southwestern Ontario and beyond,” says Western President Amit Chakma. “Accordingly, we are extremely fortunate to have attracted such a talented and energetic individual as Michael Strong to be its next dean.”
Strong is a recipient of the University Students’ Council Award for Excellence in Teaching every year since 2004, winner of the 2005 Sheila Essay and the 2008 Forbes Norris Awards, both international recognitions of leadership in the area of ALS, editor or co-editor of three textbooks on ALS, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Since 1990, he has also cared for ALS patients from across southwestern Ontario, including an outreach clinic in Windsor for patients from Essex County. Strong was awarded Western’s highest academic honour in 2009, when he was named Distinguished University Professor.
