As the end of 2021 quickly approaches, I want to offer my sincere thanks to everyone in the Faculty of Medicine for your dedication and efforts during yet another challenging year.

Every time we thought we had a handle on COVID-19, we were confronted with a new wave and the corresponding obstacles that followed. Throughout it all, students, staff, and faculty approached their duties with professionalism, in-person educational opportunities continued, and clinical faculty and alumni provided care on the front lines of the pandemic.

Somehow, you have all made the extraordinary seem routine.

I can assure you that I am acutely aware that this is not the case, and I am grateful to each of you for your individual contributions that have contributed to our collective success.

I hope everyone has the opportunity to relax and spend time with your loved ones over the holiday break. I look forward to seeing you in 2022.

Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine

 

Faculty of Medicine Food Drive
In lieu of our traditional holiday gathering, the Faculty of Medicine has partnered with Feed Nova Scotia for a holiday food drive. Feed Nova Scotia distributes almost 2 million kilograms of food each year, with the pandemic only increasing the demand on food banks.

From now until December 17th, there will be a Feed Nova Scotia box at the main reception on the second floor of the Clinical Research Centre (5849 University Avenue) where you can place your donations for the food drive.

Feed Nova Scotia would especially appreciate nutritious food donations that help make up part of a main meal. They provide the following suggestions:

• Soups and stews
• Peanut butter
• Cereal
• Canned vegetables and fruits
• Canned meat, fish, and beans
• Rice, pasta, and pasta sauce
• Baby food and formula
• Meal replacement drinks
• Canned and powdered milk

If you are unable to donate in person, please consider making a donation online at feednovascotia.ca or by calling 902-457-1900 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.  For those in New Brunswick, donations can be made to Harbour Lights Campaign, for those in PEI, donations can be made to Upper Room Hospitality.

 

Strategic Planning
Over the past five years, the Faculty of Medicine’s strategic plan, #DalMedForward, has, in part, started our journey toward fulfilling our vision of becoming an international leader and being responsive to the health needs across the Maritimes.

On October 29, 2021, I was pleased to welcome Assistant and Associate Deans, Department Heads, and administrative leaders across the Faculty of Medicine for our first planning session as we develop our new strategic plan.  I am pleased with the progress and achievements of our faculty over the past five years – and recognize there is much more that needs to be done.

To build upon #DalMedForward, meaningful engagement with faculty, students, staff, and our various external stakeholders, will be crucial. Over the coming months we will be consulting broadly with all areas and employment groups of the Faculty of Medicine to better understand your unique perspectives and understand of how we can better support you.

As we move forward, it is my commitment to keep you informed of our progress and remain open to new ideas that challenge the status quo. I encourage all faculty, staff, and students to participate. With your help, we look forward to continuing the tradition of training scientists and medical professionals with a commitment to lifelong learning, excellence in patient care, high ethical standards, and accountability to communities we serve.

 

RIM Research Day
Kudos to all for the success of the seventh Annual RIM Research Day, held virtually on September 10. The RIM program at Dalhousie is truly unique in that all our medical students have the opportunity to complete a research study over the course of their training: it’s a first of its kind in Canada, and it has produced exceptional student research. It is truly impressive to see the amount and breadth of research taking place at Dalhousie Medical School.

I would like to recognize the 2021 RIM Excellence in Mentoring Award winners, whose mentorship has played a pivotal role in offering RIM students insight into the importance of research in influencing clinical decision making. In Nova Scotia, Dr. Leah Cahill, Department of Medicine and Community Health and Epidemiology and in New Brunswick, Dr. Amanda Caissie, Department of Radiation Oncology. As well, I am proud to recognize Dr. Karthik Tennankore from the Department of Medicine, who was the 2019 recipient of the award. Thank you all for your continued support and commitment to the RIM program. I also want to thank to Dr. Anna MacLeod, the head of our RIM program, and Dr. Colleen O’Connell, our RIM Co-Chair in New Brunswick, and their staff for making RIM Research Day such a success.

I offer my congratulations to our Faculty of Medicine RIM students, mentors, and event organizers for all their hard work to make this event a success and to provide an excellent forum for our student researchers to share their important work. It is my hope that participating in RIM has inspired you all to continue your involvement in research throughout your professional careers.

 

Faculty of Medicine Leadership Awards
The 2021 Faculty of Medicine Leadership Awards took place virtually on September 21, where we recognized our leaders at all levels in the Faculty of Medicine for their continued commitment in supporting our departments, divisions and units across the Maritimes in achieving the Faculty’s academic mission.

The nominees chosen for these awards demonstrated significant accomplishments in their work directly related to Dalhousie’s leadership competencies, both as a team member or team leader. The 2021 Award Recipients included:

• Valerie Chappe, Assistant Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Academic Leadership Award)
• Stephen Whitefield, Manager of the Cellular Microscopy and Digital Imaging (CMDI) core facility in the Faculty of Medicine (Professional and Managerial Leadership Award)
• Mandy Morgan, Site Administrator (Leadership in Administrative, Clerical & Technical Support Award)
• Shane LeBlanc, Director, Post-Graduate Medical Education

This year, the Faculty of Medicine was honoured to introduce the “Team Collaboration Award” in memory of Mr. Ryan Clow; a well-known, well-liked, and highly esteemed member of our team who passed away very suddenly on February 5, 2021. He was the Director of MedIT and an integral part of students’ education across both campuses. The first-ever recipient of this award was the MedIT team for the monumental effort they have put in as a team under Mr. Ian Taylor’s leadership throughout the pandemic and as they navigated the devastating loss of their co-leader and friend.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients. A special thank you to our selection committee, and those that took the time to recognize and nominate your colleagues.

 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
On September 30th, Dalhousie Medical School joined the Dalhousie community and the rest of the country in observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a day for remembrance and reflection and to honour survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities.

Dalhousie’s observance of this day aligns with our commitment to using the medical school’s platform and resources to make the Faculty of Medicine a catalyst for change and an inclusive and welcoming place for all to learn. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action was a reminder that we need to do our part in redressing the colonial history of residential schools and attempts to decimate the identity, education, and life chances of Indigenous peoples. Acknowledging that Dalhousie University is located in Mi’kma’ki — the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, and that DMNB is sits on traditional unceded and un-surrendered Wolastoqey lands— is just the beginning.

In preparation for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Global Health Office’s Indigenous Health in Medicine program offered a Preparing for a Day of Truth and Reconciliation speaker series. I would like to acknowledge both Ms. Hannah Asprey, the Faculty’s Indigenous Health in Medicine Program Manager, and Dr. Brent Young, Academic Director of Indigenous Health, for their incredible work and efforts to pull this seminar series together so we could learn how to better encourage and support Indigenous members of our Dalhousie community and think about the society we want to be as we work together toward a more respectful and inclusive campus community and society.

 

Dr. Gail Darling Appointed Head, Department of Surgery
Dr. Gail Darling has been appointed as the Head for the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University for a five-year term. This position also serves as the Central Zone Department Head of Surgery at Nova Scotia Health. This appointment is effective January 1, 2022.

Dr. Darling was previously a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Thoracic Surgery and in the Department of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. Dr. Darling held the Kress Family Chair in Esophageal Cancer at the University of Toronto and University Health Network and was also an affiliate scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute.

Dr. Darling holds the position of Clinical Lead for Thoracic Cancers and High-Risk Lung Cancer Screening for Ontario Health Cancer Care Ontario and is the Esophageal Disease Site co-chair for the Canadian Clinical Trials Group and is a member of the Thoracic Surgery Oncology Group.

Dr. Darling is the President Elect of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons and secretary of the International Society of Diseases of the Esophagus. Dr. Darling is the Editor-in- Chief of Pearson’s Textbook of Thoracic Surgery.

In announcing Dr. Darling’s appointment, The Faculty of Medicine would like to thank Dr. David Kirkpatrick for his steady leadership in the Department of Surgery since 2009.

 

Dr. Brent Johnston Appointed Head, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Dr. Brent Johnston has been appointed Head of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology for a five-year term. Dr. Johnston’s appointment is effective September 15, 2021.

Dr. Johnston completed his PhD at the University of Calgary and a CIHR fellowship at Stanford University before being recruited to Dalhousie University in 2004 as the Canada Research Chair in Inflammation and Immunity. Dr. Johnston has served on several Faculty level committees and as Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. He is currently Secretary Treasurer for the Canadian Society for Immunology.

Dr. Johnston has been serving in the role as Interim Head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology since August 1, 2020, and holds a joint, tenured appointment as a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Pediatrics.

 

Dr. Christine Chambers elected as 2021 Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Fellow 
The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) recently announced Dr. Christine Chambers is among the list of individuals who were elected as Fellows for 2021.

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences brings together Canada’s top-ranked health and biomedical scientists and scholars to make a positive impact on the urgent health concerns of Canadians. Our Fellows, drawn from all disciplines across our nation’s universities, healthcare, and research institutes, evaluate Canada’s most complex health challenges and recommend strategic, actionable solutions.

Election to Fellowship in the Academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community and carries with it a covenant to serve the Academy and the future well-being of the health sciences irrespective of the Fellow’s specific discipline.

For more information, please visit Dal Med News.

 

DMAA Awards
On November 25th, the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association (DMAA) recognized nine deserving members of the alumni community during a virtual ceremony.

For the first time ever, the Alumnus of the Year award was co-presented to four individuals. All four are provincial chief medical officers of health (CMOH): Dr. Janice Fitzgerald (PGM ’96), Newfoundland & Labrador; Dr. Bonnie Henry (MD ’90), British Columbia; Dr. Heather Morrison (MD ’99), Prince Edward Island; and Dr. Jennifer Russell (PGM ’01), New Brunswick.

Other recipients include:

• Honorary President Award: Dr. K. Thomas Robbins (MD ’74)
• The 2021 Family Physician of the Year Award: Dr. Michael Fleming (MD ’78)
• 2021 Young Alumnus of the Year Award: Dr. Ian Epstein (MD ’04, PGM ’09)
• Resident Leadership Award, Royal College Specialties and Subspecialties: Dr. Marissa LeBlanc (MD ’17)
• Resident Leadership Award, Family Medicine (including enhanced skills programs): Dr. Colin Boyd (MD ’18)

For more information on this year’s recipients, please visit Dal Med News.

 

Doctors Nova Scotia Awards
Congratulations to the Faculty of Medicine clinical faculty who were recently recognized by Doctors Nova Scotia with their annual awards.

The association’s annual achievement awards are one way that Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) celebrates the dedication of its members, physicians who go beyond the call of duty, but are rarely acknowledged for their hard work.

This year, Doctors Nova Scotia honoured eight physicians for exemplary achievement.

For the full list, please visit the Doctors Nova Scotia website.

 

Nova Scotia’s Family Physician of the Year
Congratulations to Dr. Joan Salah, Co-Director of the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship Program in Cape Breton; and Curriculum Coordinator for the Family Medicine Residency Program in Cape Breton, for being named Nova Scotia Family Physician of the Year by the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians.

Dr. Salah is a community family physician at Northside Collaborative in North Sydney. She works in all areas of community family medicine. In addition to her family practice, she has multiple other roles such as caring for patients in long term care, assisting in the OR, and working at the youth health clinic.

For more information, please visit the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians website.

 

2021 Michelle Harkness Mentorship Award
Congratulations to Dr. Lori Connors, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, for being the recipient of the 2021 Michelle Harkness Mentorship Award (MHMA) Mentorship Development Grant by the Allergy, Genes and Environment Network. Dr. Connors is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and a clinical immunologist and allergist with an academic and a community practice.

The MHMA Mentorship Development Grant does not recognize past mentoring achievements but rather supports activities by which applicants seek to strengthen their mentoring skills. The 2021 grant facilitated Dr. Connors’ participation in a Canadian Women in Medicine Leaders Course, and in the Canadian Women in Medicine Annual Conference, both of which will enable the achievement of her goal: to develop a Women in Allergy and Immunology conference as a means to develop and mentor upcoming and current women in allergy.

Congratulations, Dr. Connors!

 

2021 Discovery Awards
Congratulations to several faculty members who were recognized at the 2021 Discovery Awards and celebrated as outstanding innovators who make Nova Scotia a leader in scientific discovery.

Of particular note, Dr. Noni MacDonald was this year’s inductee to the Discovery Centre’s Science Hall of Fame. Dr. MacDonald is a renowned global health advocate and researcher. She was the first pediatrician to be certified in pediatric infectious diseases in Canada and became the country’s first female dean of medicine when she assumed the role at Dalhousie from 1999 to 2004.

Dr. MacDonald is highly deserving of this prestigious honour and the Faculty of Medicine is incredibly proud of her achievements.

For the full list of recipients, please visit Dal Med News.

 

2021 Sophia B. Jones Mentorship Program
On November 9^th, I was pleased to provide opening remarks for the launch of the 2021 Sophia B. Jones Mentorship Program. This program, developed for African Nova Scotian/Canadian students in the Faculty of Medicine, was established to enhance connections for Black students in medicine with physicians by providing guidance through academic and professional development.

Having the right mentors can be a critical component to one’s success and it was reassuring to see that Dalhousie medical students will receive capable and understanding mentorship, built on the foundation of shared experience.

My sincere thanks to all the physicians and residents in attendance that evening who understand the importance of this program and who are graciously offering their time and expertise to provide mentorship to the next generation of physicians.

 

In Memoriam: Dr. Sohrab Lutchmedial
The Faculty of Medicine and Dalhousie University are deeply saddened to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Dr. Sohrab Lutchmedial, Assistant Professor in Medicine at Dalhousie University and part-time lecturer at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick (DMNB), on November 8, 2021 at the age of 52.

Dr. Lutchmedial made Saint John, New Brunswick home and became, in his words, a “born-again Maritimer” when he joined the New Brunswick Heart Centre (NBHC) as an interventional cardiologist in June 2000, dedicating more than 20 years of his life to the care of patients suffering from heart disease.

A passionate advocate of promoting equity in health education and support for the early prevention of cardiovascular disease, Dr. Lutchmedial was a brilliant scholar and beloved mentor to Dalhousie University Research in Medicine (RIM) students and clinical research professionals.

For the full In Memorandum for Dr. Lutchmedial, please click here.

 

Remembering Chancellor Emeritus Richard Goldbloom
Finally,  the entire Dalhousie community was again saddened by  the passing of a giant in the field of pediatrics and a towering figure in medical education at Dalhousie University, Dr. Richard Goldbloom. As head of the Department of Pediatrics at Dalhousie Medical School and physician-in-chief at the IWK Health Centre, Dr. Goldbloom went on to become one of the most influential pediatricians in the world. Named a Dal Med Innovator to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of Dalhousie Medical School, his presence and impact will be felt for generations to come.

The following In Memoriam was shared by Dalhousie President Deep Saini on November 22, 2021:

“Since news broke Friday night that Richard Goldbloom had passed away, many Nova Scotians have been sharing memories and stories of someone who was a founding father of modern pediatrics, a beloved community leader and Dalhousie chancellor emeritus.

These tales focus less on Dr. Goldbloom’s stature as a towering figure in health care and education in our region and around the world, and instead speak to the warm, kind and generous man whose love and care for others informed all the great things he achieved in his 96 years. He would surely be humbled by the outpouring of kindness he and his family are receiving right now.

Dalhousie offers our utmost condolences to his family and all who had the pleasure of knowing or working with him.”

For the full In Memoriam, please visit Dal News.