It’s hard to believe winter will be winding its way to an end soon and spring is right around the corner. Time has been flying! Here are a few updates from the past month.
Appointment of Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden, James Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies
I am pleased to announce that Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden has been named Dalhousie’s James Robinson Johnston (JRJ) Chair in Black Canadian Studies. The Chair will be located in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Community Health & Epidemiology. This six-year appointment is effective May 1st, 2019.
Dr. Dryden is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersections of health science, social science and humanities. She earned her PhD in Social Justice Education from the Ontario Institute for the Study of Education and the University of Toronto, where her dissertation examined how blood donation rules discriminate against certain populations. She has served as an assistant professor and Chair of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at Thorneloe University (Ontario) and as a visiting professor in the Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson University.
Dr. Dryden will help the Faculty of Medicine strengthen Dalhousie’s institutional priorities to enhance diversity, foster community outreach, and build a health research mandate that is collaborative, interdisciplinary and nationally recognized.
A full story can be read on Dal Med News.
Town Hall
On February 25th, 2019, we held our second town hall on the progress made in the Research pillar of our Faculty of Medicine Strategic Plan, #DalMedForward. Co-hosted by our Research strategic plan lead, Dr. Roger McLeod, the town hall aimed to update faculty, staff and students on the progress made through the report of Key Performance Indicators (see Research Key Performance Indicator Update February 2019) and other significant outcomes.
Brian Thompson, CEO of the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, spoke on working with the medical school to help identify projects that will advance research in our faculty’s respective areas. This includes a new agreement with Dalhousie University to expand the Foundation’s scope of work to include raising funds for the Faculties and Health and Dentistry from a research perspective.
Thank you to our faculty and staff members who participated in the discussion on our future directions and potential need for course correction and mitigation strategies. Our need to anticipate and prepare for new opportunities related to research fields and funding is evident and we will continue to identify emerging issues as we monitor the progress of the priority initiatives. We appreciate the many constructive suggestions we received from attendees at this town hall.
Stay tuned for our third town hall, which will take place in the spring and will focus on our strategic pillar “Serving and Engaging Society”.
Murphy family announces $4M donation to QEII Foundation
I am excited to share the exciting news about the J & W Murphy Foundation’s recent donation to the QEII Foundation of $4 million. This extraordinary effort is the largest gift the Foundation has ever received. $3 million of the family’s donation will fund an endowed chair in palliative care – a collaborative effort between Dalhousie Medical School and the QEII Health Sciences Centre. This is a tremendous result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people coming together to bring this palliative care chair to fruition. The other $1 million will provide critical funding for Nova Scotia’s new hospice residence, Hospice Halifax.
Not only is this an incredible opportunity to recruit a world-class researcher and move the field of palliative care forward, but it’s going to make a great difference to the quality of palliative care that we’ll be able to provide to Nova Scotians. The next steps include an international search for a great candidate.
To read more about the Murphy Family’s donation, visit Dal Med News.
Department Head Announcement
Congratuations to Dr. James Clarke who was recently appointed as the Head of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology for Dalhousie University and Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health Authority. Dr. Clarke has served as Director for the Nuclear Medicine residency program and had been serving as the Associate Head of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology prior to his appointment. Dr. Clarke has also served as Associate Chief of the Department of Diagnostic Imaging for the Central Zone of the Nova Scotia Health Authority and Site Chief for the QEII.
Dr. Clarke has taken on numerous academic and administrative roles, including having served as an accreditor for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, as a representative on the board of directors of the Canadian Medical Association, as president of the Canadian Association of Interns and Residents, and as past president of the Nova Scotia Association of Radiologists.
In announcing Dr. Clarke’s appointment, we would like to thank Dr. David Barnes, who has served as Department Head since 2009. We appreciate Dr. Barnes’ strong leadership over the past 10 years, and know that under his stewardship, the Department has greatly advanced its academic and clinical contributions and strategic goals.
United Way
I’m happy to report that the Faculty of Medicine has won the United Way Workplace Challenge for its fourth consecutive year! Congratulations to all and a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this possible by participating in local events and campaigns that contributed to raising funds for our communities.
The Dalhousie United Way Campaign raised a total of $157,587! The money raised through employee donations and fundraising events will support hundreds of important programs and resources in our communities, so not only does your donation not only changes lives, it stays local.
Provost sessions
On behalf of our new Provost and Vice-President Academic, I would like to invite you to participate in a discussion centering on priorities for the university. As part of getting to know the faculties across campuses, and as part of Dalhousie’s transition into a new strategic planning cycle, Dr. Teri Balser will be engaging with various faculty members during the next several months. Stay tuned and check your email for times and dates. The purpose of these discussions is to engage with as many faculty members as possible, and to get broad input about Dalhousie’s strategic priorities.
Dal Med Student honored with Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award
Congratulations to third-year medical student Todd Dow, recipient of the 2019 Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award, who has been invited to attend the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Montreal in May, where he will have the opportunity to meet CMHF Laureates and interact with health leaders from across the country.
Each of Canada’s faculties of medicine/health sciences facilitated the review of applicants and recommended one award recipient. This award recognizes students with an established track record of community leadership, superior communication skills and a demonstrated interest in advancing knowledge.
To read more about Todd’s story, visit Dal Med News.
Dr. Francoise Baylis appointed to WHO Expert Advisory Committee
Congratulations to Dr. Francoise Baylis on her appointment to the World Health Organization’s expert advisory committee on developing global standards for governance and oversight of human genome editing. The Committee will examine the scientific, ethical, social and legal challenges associated with Human Genome editing. The aim will be to advise and make recommendations on appropriate governance mechanisms for Human Genome editing. Dr. Baylis, whose innovative work in bioethics, at the intersection of policy and practice, challenges us to think broadly and deeply about the direction of health, science and biotechnology. Through her academic and advocacy work she aims to move the limits of mainstream bioethics and develop more effective ways to understand and tackle public policy challenges.
Dr. Dora Stinson honoured with Senior Mentorship Award by Doctors Nova Scotia
Congratulations to Dr. Dora Stinson, senior neonatologist, who was recently honoured by Doctors Nova Scotia with its prestigious Senior Membership Award. Dr. Stinson continues to help out with perinatal follow-up clinics, and instructs the NRP program. She has been a tireless advocate for newborns and premies, and well-respected and beloved clinician teacher and colleague, since the 1970’s. The award will be presented during the Doctors Nova Scotia Achievement Awards Ceremony and Luncheon at the association’s 165th annual conference on June 8th.
Dr. Samantha Dawson awarded Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
Congratulations to Dr. Samantha Dawson who was recently awarded the highly prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. There were 181 applications in the SSHRC field, and 24 fellowships awarded. Dr. Dawson was ranked 7th overall. She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University in 2018. She is currently a post-doc in Dr. Natalie Rosen’s lab and funded through CIHR and SSHRC grants. Her research proposal is entitled “In the Mood for Sex? A Multi-Method Approach to Examine How Affect and Attention to Sexual Cues Impact Couples’ Sexual Wellbeing” and involves community couples as well as a longitudinal study of couples transitioning to parenthood.
Appointment of Assessment Specialist for the Undergraduate Medical Education Program
Dr. Natalie Lutwick will be joining the Faculty of Medicine on Monday, January 28, 2019 as the Assessment Specialist for the Undergraduate Medical Education Program. Dr. Lutwick will be replacing Jim Rice who will be retiring from the University.
As an educator with a broad range of teaching and research experiences, Dr. Lutwick has been supporting the public-school system in the area of evidence-based decision making and research for the past 11 years. Dr. Lutwick graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Studies from the University of New Brunswick following the completion of a Master of Arts in the “Psychology of Excellence” from the Ludwig Maximillian University of Munich, Germany.
Many thanks to Jim Rice for his contributions to the Undergraduate Medical Education Program over the past 4 years. During this time, Jim has led faculty, students and staff through several important initiatives including standard setting, improving our examinations and assessment of students and a very successful accreditation.
Euphoria! 2019
Saturday, February 23 marked the 50th anniversary of performance of Euphoria! at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Amid the spotlight of this show, the deep roots which have sustained this spectacle since 1969 are planted solidly in our desire to reach out to communities around the Maritimes and help meet some pressing needs.
This year, our students, faculty, and friends have made possible the largest donation yet to regional charities. Total funds raised were over $50,000 – a record high for the production throughout it’s 50 years on stage. All proceeds will be split evenly between Camp Gencheff and Hestia House.
I would like to congratulate and thank the Dalhousie Medical Students’ Society, the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association, Dr. Ron Stewart and the many, many students who have worked so hard to make Euphoria! 2019 such a tremendous success.
To read more about this year’s production of EUPHORIA! visit Dal Med News.
Match Day
Congratulations to all our fourth-year medical students who learned last week where they will be taking their residencies. 108 of 112 Dalhousie students successfully matched in the first round and most received their first or second residency choices. Those students who do not yet have residency positions will be eligible to enter the second round of matching. Our student affairs team will work with these students to help them fulfill their residency goals.
2019 Annual Faculty Meeting
Save the date! The 2019 Annual Faculty Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 5PM AST. An agenda will be circulated closer to the date.
Be well and please provide feedback about the topics mentioned above, or other matters that are of interest to you.