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Four Western University researchers have been elected Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), one of Canada’s highest honours in health sciences research and leadership. Daniel Ansari, Mansour Haeryfar, Nicole Redvers and Victor Yang were nominated and elected CAHS Fellows by their peers in recognition of their leadership, research productivity and demonstrated commitment to advancing public health outcomes, among other criteria. The Western researchers now join a distinguished national network of health scientists, clinicians and scholars whose expertise informs health policy, research and health-system improvements across Canada. The Western scholars are four of the 59 new Fellows announced Aug. 25. Drawn from Canadian universities, health-care and research institutes, CAHS Fellows support the academy in generating evidence-informed guidance and leadership to address urgent health concerns facing Canadians.  

Four 2026 CAHS Fellows from Western University

Daniel Ansari, Faculties of Education and Social Science Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Daniel Ansari, is a world leader in the examination of children’s development of math and numeracy skills.  Ansari is the principal investigator in the Numerical Cognition Lab at Western. His research is opening new avenues to identify children who struggle with math and address these difficulties before they become lifelong barriers to success. His substantial body of published research informs how researchers in Canada and beyond understand children’s mathematical development and how to teach mathematical thinking.   Mansour Haeryfar, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Immunology professor Mansour Haeryfar‘s research has transformed our understanding of immune responses in health, infectious diseases and cancer. An advocate for immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases, he has pioneered novel vaccination strategies against respiratory viruses and led a team that invented the application of a bacterial molecule to make vaccines more effective. Haeryfar has also developed effective experimental immunotherapies for sepsis and cancer. He engages global media to make research accessible. As president of the Canadian Society for Immunology, his leadership advanced Canada’s scientific standing around the world.   Nicole Redvers, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Western research chair Nicole Redvers, a member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation (NWT), is the director of Indigenous Planetary Health at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.  Her research examines the links between climate change, ecological health and Indigenous health promotion. Redvers also serves as vice-president of research for the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. She advises several World Health Organization technical groups and co-leads the health and wellbeing section of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.
Dr. Victor Yang, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Neurosurgery and medical biophysics professor, Dr. Victor Yang, is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon, clinician-scientist and engineering innovator. Yang’s research has advanced cutting-edge machine-vision surgical robotics and smart material implants for neurovascular diseases and spinal injuries. He has translated discoveries into clinical practice through multiple medical technology companies, improving patient care in Canada and across the globe. He also holds the inaugural Charles G. Drake Chair in Neurosurgery Research.      Learn more about how Western is optimizing health for all.