Four Western researchers have been elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS).
Frank Beier, Dr. Ruth Lanius, Kathy Nixon Speechley and Nadine Wathen were among 71 individuals in the Canadian health sciences community to receive the honour.
The CAHS fellowship recognizes individuals demonstrating a strong commitment to their field of expertise through their life and work. CAHS Fellows are nominated by their peers and selected in a competitive process based on their internationally recognized leadership, academic performance, scientific creativity, and willingness to serve.
“Becoming a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences recognizes the fellows’ dedication to health sciences,” said CAHS president, Dr. Sioban Nelson. “We are proud of their accomplishments and honoured to welcome them to the Academy.”
Frank Beier, Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Frank Beier (Western Communications)
Frank Beier is the chair of the department of physiology and pharmacology and the Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Research. His research is in the area of osteoarthritis, and in particular, in the genetic and molecular basis of this disorder. Beier has published approximately 150 peer-reviewed articles and made major contributions to the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving osteoarthritis. He is the 2019 recipient of the OARSI Basic Science award, one of the main international awards in his field.
Dr. Ruth Lanius, Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Dr. Ruth Lanius (Lawson Health Research Institute)
Psychiatry professor Dr. Ruth Lanius is the Harris-Woodman Chair in Mind-Body Medicine, director of the clinical research program for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute. Dr. Lanius has received numerous awards, including the Banting Award for Military Health Research. She has published more than 150 research articles and book chapters focusing on brain adaptations to psychological trauma and novel adjunct treatments for PTSD. She lectures on the topic of psychological trauma and has co-authored three books: The Effects of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease, Healing the Traumatized Self, and Finding Solid Ground: Overcoming Obstacles in Trauma Treatment.
Kathy Nixon Speechley, Paediatrics and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Kathy Nixon-Speechley (Submitted)
Kathy Nixon Speechley is a professor in the departments of paediatrics and epidemiology and biostatistics and a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and Children’s Health Research Institute. An epidemiologist, her primary research focus is on the determinants of quality of life in children with chronic health conditions with an emphasis on children with epilepsy. Her publications describing key risk and protective factors for quality of life in childhood epilepsy have contributed to advances in family-centered care. She is a fellow of the American Epilepsy Society, past chair of the Canadian Pediatric Epilepsy Network and was its inaugural representative on the board of directors of the Canadian League Against Epilepsy.
Nadine Wathen, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences
Nadine Wathen (Western Communications)
Nadine Wathen is professor in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and Canada Research Chair in Mobilizing Knowledge on Gender-Based Violence (GBV). As an internationally-renowned scholar in the areas of GBV and health inequities, Wathen is generating and mobilizing knowledge that has significantly impacted responses to violence and inequity in Canada and abroad. She is committed to using research to improve policy, practice, and public responses to enhance well-being and advance justice for those experiencing interpersonal and structural violence and inequity.
