Two of Western’s top health pioneers have been honoured with Biomedical Science Ambassador Awards by Canadian national charity Partners In Research (PIR).
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Dean Carol Herbert and Professor of Neurology Vladimir Hachinski received their awards Sunday at a fundraising dinner. Established in 1988, PIR seeks to educate the lay public – particularly school-aged children – about the history, importance, accomplishments and promise of health research.
Herbert, who will have completed two terms and 11 years as dean when her term expires in June, focuses her research interests around shared decision-making between physicians and patients; physician behaviour change; and clinical health promotion.
She is a winner of the W. Victor Johnston Medal for lifetime contribution to the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ian McWhinney Award for Family Medicine Education.
Herbert is also a recipient of a Queen’s Jubilee Medal, was awarded the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award and was received the YMCA Women of Excellence Award.
Hachinski, who received his MD degree from the University of Toronto, is the Founding Chairman of the International Society for Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders, and President of the World Federation of Neurology.
An expert on stroke prevention, he introduced the concepts and terms for multi-infarct dementia, leukoaraiosis and vascular cognitive impairment as well as devised the Ischemic Score, which remains a standard for distinguishing Alzheimer from multi-infarct dementia.
Hachinski has contributed to over 600 book chapters, scientific papers, editorials and other scholarly publications, and is the author of 16 books. He has received three honorary degrees, the Mihara International Award and the Order of Canada.
One of the educational initiatives of PIR is Virtual Researcher On Call (VROC), a project designed to link Canadian students – grades 5 to 12 – in their classroom setting with top researchers and their trainees from the scientific community.
VROC provides a unique and interactive learning opportunity for students in all aspects of the natural and health sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics.