As 2020 draws to a close, I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to our faculty, staff, students, residents, fellows, alumni, patients, donors, and community partners – everyone who is a part of the Dalhousie Medical School community – for your patience and hard work that drove our successes in over this past year. Thank you all for your support and dedication in these turbulent times. I am very proud of your collective response in tackling the challenges of volunteering, teaching, mentoring, research, leadership and patient care during this pandemic.
Throughout the ups and downs of this year, Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine has demonstrated a sustained resolve to inspire and enable excellence in health through medical education and research programs, and to serve and engage society. To all our students completing their terms, best of luck on all your exams. I hope your courses have gone well.
COVID-19 Updates
As the Maritime provinces sit in the COVID 19 second wave it is important for us all to keep updated about public health and university advisories. This is information is particularly important as it relates to travel and other activities over the holiday season. The Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 information page is updated regularly and contains the relevant information for all medical learners, researchers, graduate students, faculty, and staff. You can also follow our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter for updates via COVID-19 Explained; a new video series featuring Medicine and Health students covering hot topics including testing, symptoms, and community spread.
Your continued patience and understanding in this evolving situation is deeply appreciated, and with vaccines now being available, I look forward to the day when we can all safely return to campus.
COVID-19 Rapid Testing
In late November, Dr. Lisa Barrett, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine and Dr. Todd Hatchette, Professor, Department of Pathology, began organizing COVID 19 pop up test sites including a pop-up COVID-19 testing site at Dalhousie that attracted long lines and generated media headlines. These clinics are drawing hundreds of people for free, rapid virus testing amid a growing second wave of cases in our province that health officials say has been driven predominantly by people aged 18-35. Dr. Barrett was also recognized by Doctors Nova Scotia with the Physician Health Promotion Award for her research on chronic viral infection and immune function, and how infection can be treated and cured.
In light of recent demand for COVID-19 testing, it is also important to note that Nova Scotia public health and the Nova Scotia Health Authority have called upon Dalhousie students for assistance in providing rapid testing. I am grateful and supportive of the volunteer efforts of our medical and graduate students and their willingness to support the health care system in the region.
Annual Report
I am pleased to share Dalhousie Medical School’s 2019-2020 Annual Report. Throughout this report, you will find stories of collaboration, compassion, and innovation. We are proud to share some of the many highlights and accomplishments achieved by our talented and dedicated faculty, students and staff — indicating the clear progress we are making in our efforts to respond to the health care needs of diverse communities in our region.
Fall 2020 Issue of VoxMeDAL
I hope you enjoy this special issue of Vox MeDAL celebrating 10 years of Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. It will give you a new view into the evolution and important contributions of DMNB, under the leadership of its founders and current associate dean, Dr. Jennifer Hall. As well, you can read about the latest information on new innovations in medicine, upcoming events and stories on Dalhousie Medical School’s students and alumni who are making an impact.
DMRF Breakthrough Breakfast
On November 25th, the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation held their annual Breakthrough Breakfast, which recognized outstanding COVID-19 health research and the philanthropy that supports it. The virtual breakfast was hosted by Tom Murphy (CBC Nova Scotia News) and included panel discussions that were well-represented by the Faculty of Medicine. I would like to thank the faculty members who participated in the event, and the Dalhousie Medicine Research Foundation for their continued support of important and impactful research. If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch the full event online.
Black Analysis Lecture Series
On November 26th, Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies, launched the inaugural Black Analysis Lecture Series. The lecture focused on health disparities and how they impact Black lives, and explored issues experienced by Black people, and related to Black Studies, health, medical education, and patient experiences. If you missed the first lecture, it can be viewed here.
Dalhousie Medicine Advocacy Video Series
Medical students, in conjunction with Dr. Wendy Stewart and the Dalhousie Medical Humanities HEALS Program, are working on a project that compiles and highlights health advocacy efforts in the Dalhousie Medicine community. Specifically, they are looking to develop a short video series that showcases these stories to create a more tangible and local understanding of advocacy and to strengthen the voices of those engaged and/or impacted by these efforts. They are hoping to interview medical students, residents, staff physicians, or other advocacy leaders and healthcare workers who are affiliated with Dalhousie University, in order to better understand how advocacy is enacted within the Dalhousie medical education community.
Roundtable Discussion on Health Systems Change
Following the highly successful panel event with our partner, the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, I was pleased to take part in a second roundtable discussion held earlier this month. This discussion built on the first roundtable that took place in October and examined the current and forthcoming challenges of the second wave of COVID-19 and how best to integrate the lessons from the first. As well, focus was spent on how to best prioritize, adapt, and integrate health services based on lessons learned from our experiences throughout the first wave.
I am grateful to all who participated in this important discussion concerning Nova Scotia’s health system handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Special thanks to our guest speaker, Dr. Anne Snowdon, the Scientific Director and CEO of SCAN Health at the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business.
Order of Canada
Congratulations to Dr. Kenneth Wilson (MD Class of 1980), who was appointed to the Order of Canada for his expertise in reconstructive and plastic surgery and for his volunteer work on international medical missions. Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours. Presented by the governor general, the Order honours people whose service shapes our society, whose innovations ignite our imaginations, and whose compassion unites our communities.
As a faculty member in the Department of Surgery and surgeon at the IWK Health Centre, Dr. Wilson was the first surgeon in the Maritimes who focused exclusively on pediatric surgery. He expanded what the specialty does in Atlantic Canada. He was also extensively involved with the Operation Smile organization, a humanitarian group that performs cleft lip and palate surgeries for children in under-serviced parts of the world. This work has taken him on more than 40 international missions as a surgeon and team leader since 1995. This includes Kenya, Ecuador, Vietnam, Madagascar, China and beyond. He’s the only Canadian to receive a lifetime achievement award from the organization.
AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award announced
Congratulations to Dr. Susan Kirkland on receiving 2020 AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award. The award is in recognition of her long-term, substantial contributions to research and innovation in technology and aging, and to the AGE-WELL network. Dr. Kirkland has been instrumental in the development of game-changing studies around older adults and technology in her role as project lead with OA-INVOLVE, which focuses on engaging older adults in research, and as one of three principal investigators since the inception of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), one of the largest studies of its kind.
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Awards
Congratulations to Dr. Martin Gardner, Professor, Division of Cardiology, and Dr. Lynn Johnston, Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, for their recent recognitions by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Martin was named the 2020 recipient of the Mentor of the Year Award (Region 5) and Dr. Johnston was named the 2020 recipient of the Prix d’excellence — Specialist of the Year Award (Region 5).
Congratulations to both for these significant and well-deserved recognitions.
New health researchers at Dal receive funding from Research Nova Scotia
Researchers with affiliations to Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Health and the IWK Health Centre are the recipients of over $1.3 million in funding from Research Nova Scotia. Congratulations to Dr. Leah Cahill, Dr. Ketul Chaudhary, Dr. Jon Dorling, Dr. Denys Khaperskyy, Dr. Michael Kucharczyk, Dr. Paula McLaughlin, Dr. Sandra Meier, and Dr. Deniz Top from the Faculty of Medicine. The funding has been provided by Research Nova Scotia’s New Health Investigator Grant, which supports new health researchers who are engaged in work that aligns with the province’s health research priorities. The grant aims to provide two years of support of up to $100,000 for researchers who are within the first five years of their academic appointment in Nova Scotia, or who are new to the field of health research.
Congratulations to all the recipients of funding from Research Nova Scotia. A full list of recipients and highlights of their research can be found on Dal Med News.
American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Gray, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, who was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on November 24th, 2020. Dr. Gray was elected by his peers for his distinguished contributions to the field of molecular evolution, particularly in the area of endosymbiosis, organelle origins, molecular biology and genomics.
AAAS Fellows are elected each year by their peers serving on the Council of AAAS, the organization’s member-run governing body. The title recognizes important contributions to STEM disciplines, including pioneering research, leadership within a given field, teaching and mentoring, fostering collaborations, and advancing public understanding of science.
Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association Recognition Awards
On November 20th, the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association held its first ever virtual alumni awards ceremony, which recognize outstanding achievements in research and clinical practice as well as showcasing the contributions made by alumni to the medical school, students and the community.
Please join me in congratulating this year’s distinguished recipients: Alumnus of the Year Dr. Robin Roberts (PGM’87), Honorary President Dr. Dan Reid (MD’70), Family Physician of the Year Dr. Jeff Sutherland (MD’91), Young Alumna of the Year Dr. Karthika Devarajan (MD’07), and Resident Leadership Award recipients Dr. Stephanie Fong and Dr. Leo Fares (MD’16). The full awards ceremony can be viewed here.
Poliquin Resident Competition
Congratulations to PGY5 (Surgery) Dr. Devin Piccott, for receiving the Poliquin Resident Award from the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.
This competition was available to residents across Canada training in an otolaryngology-head and neck surgery program. The competition and fosters high quality research and innovation as an important element of residency training, including clinical, translational, basic science, population health, health policy, and educational investigation.
National Institutes of Health Research Project Grant
Congratulations to Dr. Turgay Akay, Department of Medical Neuroscience, who was successful in two National Institutes of Health Research Project Grant applications. Dr. Akay’s research will work to provide a comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of how somatosensory afferent feedback signals interact with the spinal locomotor network.
The NIH Research Project Grant is an extremely competitive funding competition, and Dr. Akay is commended for this impressive accomplishment.
Dr. Emily Gard Marshall Recipient of 2020 NAPCRG Mid-Career Researcher Award
The Department of Family Medicine is pleased to announce that Dr. Emily Gard Marshall is this year’s recipient of the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Mid-Career Researcher Award. The NAPCRG is an interdisciplinary volunteer association committed to nurturing primary care researchers working in partnership with individuals, families, and communities. The group is a recognized leader of primary care research that improves health and health care for patients, families and communities. The Mid-Career Researcher Award is intended to recognize outstanding research accomplishments and significant recognition of an individual at the mid-career stage.
Congratulations, Dr. Marshall!
Nova Scotia Human Rights Award
Dr. Pamela Brown is one of this year’s Nova Scotia Human Rights Award recipients who is being celebrated for her commitment to education, empowerment, equity, leadership, and collaboration on human rights issues. In the early 70s, Dr. Brown volunteered as a facilitator for the inaugural sexuality course in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University and, in 1982, joined Dalhousie’s Family Medicine department. Dr. Brown is being recognized for her lifelong body of work in the areas of sex education and women’s health. She has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the rights of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community as a health practitioner, educator, and ally. More information regarding Dr. Brown’s achievements and recognition can be found here.
Assistant Dean, Skilled Clinician Program & Interprofessional Education
On behalf of the Faculty of Medicine, I am pleased to announce Dr. Anuradha Mishra has been appointed Assistant Dean, Skilled Clinician Program & Interprofessional Education, for a five-year term. This appointment is effective January 1, 2021. In this role, Dr. Mishra will provide comprehensive academic direction for the interface between the Undergraduate Medical Education Office and the Centre for Collaborative Clinical Learning and Research (C3LR).This direction includes oversight for the clinical direction of OSCE examinations, integration of the Skilled Clinician Program across the four years of the MD Program with particular emphasis on Med 1 and Med 2, the Volunteer Patient Program, and the assessment of student clinical learning throughout
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Mishra and welcoming her to her new role.
New Co-Directors of the Medical Humanities Program, CPDME
Dalhousie University Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education (CPDME) is very pleased to announce the new Co-Directors of the Medical Humanities Program, effective Jan 1, 2021. Dr. Sarah Fraser (Antigonish) and Dr. Aruna Dhara (Halifax) were the successful applicants. These physician leaders are strongly committed to the medical humanities and are currently active in supporting them at both the local and national level. Together in 2020, they initiated The Third Rail in Canadian Family Physician, which encourages physicians to submit thought-provoking essays related to medicine. Additionally, Dr. Fraser is the editor of Art of Family Medicine, the humanities section of Canadian Family Physician. They are both enthusiastically committed to enhancing the medical school’s initiatives related to diversity and inclusiveness through the humanities. Drs. Fraser and Dhara will be working collaboratively with Dr. Wendy Stewart, Director of Humanities, DMNB.
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As we head into the busy holiday season, December in the Maritimes looks much different than it did last year. From travel restrictions to self-isolations, we have sacrificed a great deal over the past year. With the uncertainty and anxiety caused by the second wave of COVID-19, it’s important to remember the efforts from Public Health have allowed us to enjoy a level of freedom unlike other provinces in Canada.
Now more than ever, we need to remain vigilant and pay close attention to our social activities and connections over the holiday break. This includes checking your emails daily for updates from Dalhousie University, and Public Health directives/health authority notifications. Vaccines are coming and we hope that the 2021-22 academic year will look much different than this one.
Best wishes to everyone for a joyful holiday season and I hope that you are able to find some quiet time to relax and reflect.
Most of all, I wish you a happy and healthy year in 2021.
Watch the Dean’s holiday greeting video here!