Spring is finally here and exams are underway for some and around the corner for others. Good luck to all! Here are some recent updates and happenings!

I am pleased to highlight the following appointments of three Department Heads in the Faculty of Medicine:

Appointment of Dr. Susan Kirkland, Department Head, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Susan Kirkland as the Head of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. This appointment is effective April 1st, 2019.

Dr. Susan Kirkland, Professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology (CH&E), has been with the Department since 1992 and holds a cross appointment in the Department of Medicine (Division of Geriatric Medicine). She has served in a number of leadership roles in the Department including Graduate Program Director (1995-2001), Associate Department Head (2014-2017) and Interim Department Head since September 2017.

Dr. Kirkland holds research leadership roles as one of three Principal Investigators for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, as Director of the Atlantic Interdisciplinary Research Network, and as Principal Investigator on studies of frailty, healthy aging, harm reduction, and participant engagement in research.

On behalf of the Dalhousie Medical School, I would like to thank Dr. Kirkland for her continued strong leadership within the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology and know that under her stewardship, the Department will continue to advance its academic and clinical contributions and strategic goals.

 Dr. James Clarke appointed to Department Head, Diagnostic Radiology

I am pleased to welcome Dr. James Clarke as the Head of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology for Dalhousie University and Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health Authority. The five-year appointment is effective July 1st, 2019.

Dr. Clarke has been a practicing cardiac radiologist and nuclear medicine physician in Dalhousie University’s Department of Diagnostic Radiology since completing his fellowship in Cardiac Radiology in 2008. Since 2009, he’s 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. An associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Dr. Clarke has led the Nuclear Medicine program through two successful accreditation surveys and is active in the development of the Competence by Design framework for the specialty of Nuclear Medicine. His recent academic efforts have been focused on developing tools for assessment of Entrustable Professional Activities for residents in diagnostic imaging programs.

In announcing Dr. Clarke’s appointment, I would like to thank Dr. David Barnes, who has served as Department Head since 2009. I 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.

 Appointment of Dr. Kirk Magee, Department Head of Emergency Medicine

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kirk Magee as the Head of the Departments of Emergency Medicine for Dalhousie University and Central Zone, Nova Scotia Health Authority. This appointment took effect on March 1, 2019. Dr. Magee has been serving as Interim Head of the University and Central Zone Departments of Emergency Medicine since January 1, 2017.

Dr. Magee completed his undergraduate degree at Dalhousie University before moving to Edmonton to complete Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (RCPS) training in emergency medicine at the University of Alberta and earn a MSc in Epidemiology. He joined Dalhousie’s Department of Emergency Medicine in 2001 and has held various positions within the department, including Undergraduate Coordinator, Associate Head, RCPS Residency Program Director and Research Director.

Dr. Magee is an editor for the Cochrane Heart Group and a Decision Editor for the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts and is the author of several book chapters. He has worked clinically as an emergency physician and trauma team leader at the Charles V. Keating Emergency and Trauma Centre at the QEII Health Science Centre’s Halifax Infirmary.

Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine Community Volunteer Day 2019

In line with our #DalMedForward strategic plan, I am pleased to invite faculty and staff to our first ever Community Volunteer Day to be held at the Dartmouth North Community Food Centre on May 15th, 2019. This event will see Faculty of Medicine volunteers working side-by-side with one of our community partners and instills our commitment to the third pillar of our strategic plan, Serving & Engaging Society. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty – we will be helping the Centre launch their urban garden just in time for growing season!

This event is capped at 25 volunteers and I would encourage as many departments and units as possible to get involved. Information regarding volunteer registration and event details can be found on the Global Health website. Please ensure you have supervisory approval to attend before registering. I hope to see you there.

 

Dal’s Annual 3 Minutes Thesis (3MT) Competition

Earlier this month, 10 of Dal’s outstanding graduate students put on an amazing performance at Dal’s annual 3 Minutes Thesis (3MT) competition. Over 90 graduate students participated in the preliminary heats held the previous day, including several graduate students from the Faculty of Medicine. In three minute presentations, they showed how their research projects could influence the future, improve the present, and unravel the past.

When all was said and done, the judges selected Mr. Adrian Herod, a PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, as the top performer. His project is focused on exploring the genome of infectious salmonella and identifying a common biomarker which can be used to distinguish infectious strains from non-infectious strains. Mr. Herod received a $2,000 scholarship and a paid trip to the Eastern Regional finals in Montreal, as well as his name inscribed on the 3MT plaque which hangs in the main office of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Read more about Mr. Herod and other 3MT finalists and competitors here.

Dalhousie IMPACT Awards

Every year at the Dalhousie IMPACT Awards, dozens of different awards are presented by the university and the Dalhousie Student Union to recognize the many ways individual students and student groups improve our communities, each and every day.

The most prestigious of these awards is the Board of Governors’ Award and I am pleased to share that two of the five recipients are from Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine. Congratulations to Ms. Chloé Blackman (Master’s, Community Health & Epidemiology) and Ms. Emma Finlayson-Trick (Master’s, Microbiology and Immunology).

Congratulations as well to our Faculty of Medicine Impact Leadership Award winners, Mr. Patrick Holland (med student, Pharmacy) and Ms. Maral Aali (PhD candidate, Physiology & Biophysics). These students have exemplified the highest level of passion for their discipline, take initiative in creating new opportunities and encourage their peers to engage in faculty initiatives.

Read more about their work and the work of other IMPACT award recipients here.

“To Boldly Go…” A Panel Discussion on Women in Medical Leadership

Continuing Professional Development is hosting a Women in Medical Leadership panel discussion in Theatre A of the Tupper Link on Tuesday April 23^rd at 4:30PM. The panelists will include Dr. Christine Short (Department Head, Internal Medicine), Ms. Jennifer Gillivan (CEO, IWK Foundation), Dr. Susan Gilmour (Chair of Pediatrics, University of Alberta), Dr. Gaynor-Watson-Creed (Assistant Dean for Serving and Engaging Society, and Associate Provincial Medical Officer of Health) and myself.  For more information and to register, please click here. All are welcome and encouraged to attend and I hope to see you there.

 

 

Call for nominations – Faculty of Medicine Awards

The Faculty of Medicine is still accepting nominations for this year’s Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence in Leadership.

Four award categories acknowledge excellence and recognize the importance of administrative leadership in the medical school setting: Academic Leadership, Professional & Managerial Leadership, Leadership in Administrative (Clerical & Technical Support) and Emerging Leader.

The deadline for submission of nominations is Thursday, April 11. The call for nominations has also been sent (in February and March) to all department heads and assistant/associate deans.

I hope you will consider nominating a deserving colleague.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Town Hall on Serving and Engaging Society

Our third Faculty of Medicine Town Hall of the year will be held on May 28th, 2019.  This follows our previous town halls on Education and Research. The focus of this town hall will be on the third pillar of our Faculty strategic plan #DalMedForward: Serving and Engaging Society.  The #DalMedForward steering committee has greatly valued the feedback and support we have received from faculty, staff and students and we look forward to an engaging and stimulating event.

The town hall will be lead by Dr. Darrell White, Senior Associate Dean and Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, Assistant Dean, Serving & Engaging Society.  This pillar of activity focuses on the societal role of our medical school.  Its two priority areas focus around System Change and Serving our Communities. We look forward to your feedback about our efforts to-date and plans for the future in this important domain of our work.

Graduation

Graduation of our students is just around the corner.  Medical students and graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine will receive their degrees on May 27, 2019 at 9AM. More information about convocation ceremonies happening this Spring at Dal can be found here.

Congratulations to our many graduates on all that you have achieved to date and we look forward to seeing what you will be up to next!  Faculty are welcome and encouraged to attend the graduation ceremony at the Rebecca Cohn.  I hope to see you there.

 

 

 

Resident Match

Another very successful resident match took place last month.  We are very pleased that the vast majority of our students have matched in this process and most received their first or second choices for residency positions.  We are pleased that all 19 of our new entry-level residency positions have matched and will be ready to go for July 1st, 2019.

We are also pleased that the number of students matching to family medicine increased this year from 25% in 2018 to 40% in 2019.  As many of you are aware, under the leadership of our Department of Family medicine, increased emphasis throughout our undergraduate medicine curriculum has been put into place to make our students aware of the importance of (and great career opportunities available to) family physicians.  We have the explicit goal that 50% of our graduates will choose family medicine as a career option by 2022.

Unfortunately, a small number of our medical students did not match this year.  We will be providing support to all of these students to discuss career opportunities and prepare them for next year’s matching process. Our Student Affairs team is particularly engaged in working with these students.

In Memoriam

This past month, a number of individuals who have made huge contributions over their careers to the Faculty of Medicine, health care in Nova Scotia, and the good of our society have passed away.

Dr. Stephen Couban, was a current faculty member and a close colleague of mine and it is with great sadness I share the news of his passing.  Dr. Couban had been a member of the Dalhousie University community since he first attended Dalhousie Medical School in 1982. He practiced as a family physician from 1987-1989, after which he returned to Dalhousie University to complete fellowships in both Internal Medicine and Hematology.  In 1997, after a Fellowship in bone marrow transplant at University of Toronto, he returned to our Division of Hematology as an assistant professor; where he had a long and productive career.

Dr. Couban became a national and international leader in Hematologic Oncology, specializing in bone marrow transplant. He was a respected leader serving internally as Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Service Chief for Hematology, Service Chief for the Medical Teaching Unit, Division Chief for Hematology and Deputy Department Head. He was the Physician Lead for the Ambulatory Committee for the QEII Redevelopment Project and held many committee and leadership roles at                                            the faculty and the health authority as well as nationally and internationally in Hematology.

Dr. Couban was a mentor to students and faculty alike and embodied all the characteristics of an academic physician: he loved his work and his patients and he strongly believed in the Department of Medicine. Most of all, he was a wonderful colleague and friend to many.  He will be greatly missed.

I would also acknowledge the passing of four other recently passed individuals who have meant so much to the Faculty of Medicine community:

Dr. Paul Louis Landrigan, former Dalhousie Medical School faculty member and alumnus, passed away last week at the age of 93, with family by his side. He was a superb physician, wise teacher, a man of great faith and, most importantly, a devoted family man. He received his MD from Dalhousie Medical School in 1953. He continued with post-graduate studies in internal medicine at Dalhousie University and the University of Toronto. In 1962, he received a fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He also was awarded the McLaughlin Fellowship to study the specialty of Diseases of the Chest at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, England. He returned in 1963 and was appointed the first Head of the Department of Respirology at the Victoria General Hospital. He was also a full professor at Dalhousie University School of Medicine, and subsequently Chief of Medicine at the Halifax Infirmary.

 

Dr. James Allan Myrden, a former president of the Nova Scotia Medical Society and the first director of undergraduate surgical education at Dalhousie University, passed away on April 5, 2019 at the age of 92. For almost five decades, Dr. Myrden, a respected Halifax surgeon, was associated with Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine as a professor and a surgeon at the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax. He was the medical director of the Nova Scotia Tumour Clinic from 1962 until 1982, and established the Nova Scotia Tumour Registry. The registry provided the first complete database on tumour incidence in Nova Scotia. After graduating from Dalhousie Medical School in 1950, Dr. Myrden continued with several years of post-graduate studies in surgery at Dalhousie with endocrinologist Dr. Martin Hoffman, working with patients with abnormal thyroid function and their treatment. These studies were supported by the National Research Council.

 

Dr. Sonia Russell, former Dalhousie Medical School faculty member, passed away on February 28, 2019. Dr. Russell had been a member of the Dalhousie University alumni community since she graduated from Dalhousie Medical School in 1978. Dr. Russell was an extraordinary faculty member, who came to the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry in her later years. She first earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and ran a small pharmacy in London, UK, with her husband, Douglas. While raising her four children, she taught high school mathematics and science, earned a Master’s degree and a PhD, and then fulfilled her lifelong ambition of becoming a physician. Dr. Russell loved her work and her patients. After retirement, she volunteered in a variety of settings including the IWK and Dalhousie Medical School.

 

Dr. Alex Richman, former Dalhousie Medical School faculty member, passed away at home in Halifax on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at the age of 90. While at Dalhousie University, Dr. Richman held appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Community Health & Epidemiology. He conducted academic research around the planning and evaluation of mental health services, and published numerous peer-reviewed papers applying risk management and epidemiological techniques to mental health services. At the time of his death, he was an adjunct professor in Dalhousie’s School of Business Administration.

 

 

Dr. Winston Parkhill, former Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Dalhousie University, passed away at home on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. A graduate of Dalhousie Medical School (Class of 1968), Dr. Parkhill moved to Toronto for further studies in plastic and reconstructive surgery before returning to Halifax in 1973 for a position in Dalhousie’s Department of Medicine. Known for his love of life and positive energy, Dr. Parkhill cared deeply for his patients, students and colleagues over his distinguished career. He operated at the Halifax Infirmary, VG, IWK and the QEII Health Sciences Centre, took part in volunteer medical missions to the Philippines, contributed to papers published in scientific journals and gave numerous presentations in the field of plastic surgery.

 

On that note, be well and good luck to everyone writing exams. I know many of you will be working as hard as ever, but I hope all of you have an opportunity to enjoy some sunshine now that spring is here.

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 25^th, 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.

Welcome back to all of our faculty, staff and students! 2018 was a year of celebration of and reflection on our rich 150 years of history as an academic medical institution. It’s hard to believe we’re already a month into 2019 already. I trust everyone had a great holiday break. There is a lot going on so let me update you on a few key matters.

#DalMedForward Town Hall: Meeting and Exceeding Expectations in Research

Under our strategic planning banner, we will be hosting the second of three Town Halls to address each of our three pillars of activity in the Faculty of Medicine.  The first Town Hall, under Education, took place back in October. The second, focussing on research will take place on Wednesday, February 27 from 5:15PM to 6:15PM at the following locations:

Halifax (Tupper Theatre A)

• Moncton Hospital (Room 1712)
• Fredericton (DECH 208)
• Saint John (DMNB 218)
• Miramichi Hospital (Room 3112)
• Upper River Valley Hospital (Room 14-021A)

The goal of the Town Hall will be to update faculty, staff and students on the progress made on the implementation of the Research Pillar of our strategic plan, #DalMedForward, through the report of Key Performance Indicators and other significant outcomes. We will check in on future directions and discuss any needed course corrections.

This Town Hall will be co-hosted by our Research strategic plan lead, Dr. Roger McLeod and will provide a forum for discussion of current or anticipated influencers on research over the next three years.

Recognizing our Academic All-Canadian Students

I am pleased to announce that two students from the Faculty of Medicine were named Academic All-Canadians for the 2017-18 school year. To qualify as an Academic All-Canadian, student-athletes must maintain a GPA of at least 3.50 over the academic year while competing in a varsity sport.

Stephanie Dennis (Class of 2020), a member of the women’s swim team, was named as an Academic All-Canadian for the second time. A former Canadian junior national team member and a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Stephanie has volunteered with many different initiatives including as a public speaker with the Royal Canadian Air Force Speakers Bureau. She plans to pursue a career as a medical officer in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Jenna MacDonald (Class of 2021), a former captain of the cross country team, was named as an Academic All-Canadian for the fourth time. Also a Dean’s List student, Jenna is a three-time AUS all-star and earned both the AUS and U SPORTS community service awards in 2016. She volunteers with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and as a Swim Ability program teacher. She is also the Doctors Nova Scotia Kids Run Club coordinator.

Congratulations to Stephanie and Jenna!

Dr. Jean Marshall wins Canada’s top immunology award

Dalhousie immunology professor Dr. Jean Marshall has captured Canada’s top academic prize in her field, the Bernhard Cinader Award. She is the first Dalhousie faculty member to receive the prestigious prize, given annually by the Canadian Society for Immunology (CSI) to a “Canadian scientist who exemplifies distinguished scientific leadership and accomplishments in immunology.”

“CSI is a very well-established organization that has led the way for immunology in Canada,” says Dr. Marshall, who joined Dalhousie Medical School’s Department of Microbiology & Immunology in 1997 and headed the department from 2005 to 2015. “To receive this award from CSI, from my peers across the country, is special.”

Dr. Marshall is best known for her contributions to our understanding of the innate immune system—the fundamental immunity we are born with—in particular the role of mast cells. These are “master regulator” cells that recruit other immune cells to respond to allergens, pathogens and other insults to the system. She is one of the lead researchers in Dalhousie Medical School’s I3V (Inflammation, Infection, Immunity & Vaccinology) Wave 1 research team.

You can read more about this story in Dal Med News.

Dr. Stan Kutcher appointed to the Senate of Canada

Dr. Stan Kutcher, a professor in Dalhousie Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry, has been named to the Senate of Canada.

He was among four new appointments announced last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He’ll serve as an independent senator representing Nova Scotia.

The Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre, Dr. Kutcher is the former director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Mental Health Policy and Training at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre. In 2014, he was inducted into the Order of Nova Scotia.

You can read more about this story in Dal Med News.

New DMNB Appointment – Dr. Daniel Dutton

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Daniel J. Dutton, Assistant Professor Community Health & Epidemiology, effective January 2, 2019.  Dr. Dutton will be based at our DMNB campus and joins a growing field of health researchers in New Brunswick.

Dr. Dutton has completed a two-year term as a Post-Doctoral Scholar at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. His current research falls into three general categories: social and health economics, applied policy, and computational epidemiology. Currently his work focuses on homelessness, housing, and governmental policy. He also has an interest in methodological practice, including how research is done in applied epidemiology and the questions researchers answer.

 Appointment of Dr. David Gass, Interim Head of the Department of Family Medicine

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. David Gass as Interim Head of the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Gass has served as a professor in the Department of Family Medicine since 1978. Throughout this time, he has undertaken various teaching, leadership and research roles, including a previous role as Interim Department Head.

Dr. Gass’ leadership has included three years as Director of Primary Health Care and six years as Physician Advisor to Physician Health Human Resource Planning in the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. From 2008 until 2010, Dr. Gass served as the Chief of Medical Staff at the Cumberland Health Authority with a focus on recruitment and implementing interprofessional teams in rural settings. His work has focused on ensuring that health system and human resource planning responds to population and community health needs. Dr. Gass has received awards from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for his leadership and contributions to family medicine and medical education. He has been a member of, and chaired, numerous CFPC committees and was the former Chair of the Canadian Medical Association Committee on Ethics.

In announcing Dr. Gass’ appointment I want to also thank Dr. Greg Archibald, who has served as Department Head since 2010.  Under Dr. Archibald’s leadership, the Department has greatly advanced its academic contributions and strategic goals, including expansion of family medicine residency training sites and enhancing distributed medical education opportunities throughout the Maritime provinces.

Call for Applications: Assistant Dean, Clinical Research

We are now in the process of recruiting an Assistant Dean, Clinical Research who will be key in the development, implementation and outcome assessment of the Research pillar of the Faculty of Medicine’s strategic plan.  Working with the Associate Dean, the Assistant Dean, Clinical Research, will help lead Dalhousie’s efforts in this area and will facilitate and enhance the quality and quantity of clinical research performed by clinicians in the Faculty of Medicine.

A full job description can be found here. [PDF 637 KB]

Applications and the completed Self-Identification Questionnaire are due no later than February 22, 2019, and should be sent to the attention of Dr. Roger McLeod, Associate Dean Research Faculty by email to sandy.bennett@dal.ca.

The successful candidate will succeed Dr. Sultan Darvesh who will be completing two very successful terms in this role in June 2019.

CIHR Project Grant (Fall 2018) Competition Results

The results are in for the CIHR Project Grant (Fall 2018) competition. Of 35 applications from Dalhousie, six have been funded; a success rate of 17.1%. Of 42 applications from Dalhousie, IWK, and NSHA combined, eight have been funded; a success rate of 19%. The national success rate for this competition was 16.2%.

For a full list of the results from the fall CIHR Project Grant Competition, click here. [Excel 168 KB]

Congratulations to the award recipients.

 Euphoria! 2019

Always a highlight on the medical school calendar, this year’s production of Euphoria marks the 50th anniversary of the annual student-led event.

Taking place on Saturday, February 23 at 7:00 p.m. at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Euphoria provides all four classes of medical students the chance to work together to produce creative and comical skits with the goal of raising $50,000 for Maritime charities. Proceeds from this year’s show will support Hestia House, a Saint John, N.B. shelter for women and children who have experienced abuse, and Camp Gencheff, a recreational camp in Stratford, P.E.I. for children, adolescents and adults with special needs.

A silent auction is taking place on the evening of the performance that will further help with fundraising efforts.

Tickets are available now at the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office.

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.

There is still lots of winter left! Until next time, remember to stay warm, and please provide feedback about the topics mentioned above, or other matters that are of interest to you.

 

It’s hard to believe it’s already the last week of November. Time has been flying and our 150^th year of celebration is almost another year older! Here’s what we have been up to heading into the holiday season:

DalMed150 Gala Celebration Weekend

Our DalMed150 Anniversary Weekend from November 2-4, 2018 was a huge success! It was a pleasure to be able to come together and celebrate the memories, experiences and achievements of our school.

On Friday November 3rd, the 8th Annual Thomas Fear and Alice Morgans Fear Memorial Conference presented a symposium on “Health & Health Care Systems: Meeting Our Needs for the Future.” Presentations given by a variety of field experts and speakers focused on how to meet the needs of the aging population and governments and systems need to plan for a sustainable health care system.  The audience was invited to envision their specialties in ten years’ time through a series of engaging speakers. This was an impressive and thought-provoking event attended by over 200 faculty, staff, students, residents, alumni and partners of Dalhousie Medical School.   Thanks to Drs. Connie LeBlanc, Associate Dean of Continuing Professional Development and Andrew Lynk, Head of Department of Pediatrics for co-hosting this event.

Our Friday evening facilities tours and alumni receptions kicked off the weekend and a little rain and wind didn’t keep folks away from the 5K Fun Run hosted by the Dalhousie Medical Students’ Society in support of Kids Run Club first thing Saturday morning.

The Innovators’ Luncheon held on Saturday afternoon celebrated twelve influential pioneers, known as our Dal Med Innovators, who accomplished well-known and celebrated medical achievements that have revolutionized medicine to present day.  With many of their family members and loved ones in attendance, the event was also a chance to say thank you to these scholars and leaders who have inspired and challenged us.  Thanks to Joanne Napier who provided commemorative paintings of all twelve Innovators that will hang proudly in the Medical School for many years to come.

More than 1,200 alumni, medical students, residents, faculty, staff, donors and friends of the medical school converged on Halifax’s new convention centre on Saturday, November 3rd, filling the grand ballroom to capacity for a long-anticipated evening of celebration. Thanks to President Florizone and our Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick students for some memorable performances.

I was pleased, alongside of Dr. Peggy Leighton, President of the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association (DMAA), to present the DMAA 100K Cup to the Class of 1970 in honour of its $100,000 gift to the medical school. And, the Class of 1983 received the first-ever 200K Cup! Thank you to our highly engaged medical alumni who have demonstrated their confidence in our school’s future with substantial gifts in support of medical students, their research projects and their overall wellbeing.

Our Scrubs ‘n Grub breakfast, hosted by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, was served first thing Sunday morning following the gala. Many thanks to everyone who gathered with us to break eggs and bread with faculty, researchers and those impacted by the great work of the DMRF.

All in all, it was a weekend to remember—the perfect way to cap off a year of remembering and celebrating the past, and imagining and committing to a better future. Just like the founders of Dalhousie Medical School 150 years ago.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating 150 years of Dalhousie Medical School. We are grateful for your energy and engagement dedicated to our anniversary celebration. Stay tuned – we are doing this again next year!  Please join us in making the annual Med School Gala the medical event of 2019. Details to follow.

In the meantime, please enjoy our photo galleries and video highlighting some of the weekend’s special moments.

Postgraduate Medical Education Accreditation

This past week has been a very busy one at the medical school and indeed around the Maritimes as our post-graduate education programs were being accredited.  A huge thank you to Dr. Andrew Warren, Dr. Jennifer Hall, Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Ms. Christine Silver Smith and Ms. Carolyn Hicks for their hard work and preparations leading into accreditation week. As well, thank you to the program directors, residents, staff, faculty and partners of the medical school who met with members of the accreditation team with the goal of improving our excellent programs. There were some challenges this year given Dalhousie was the first medical school to be accredited with a new set of postgraduate standards and the fact that we are in midst of implementing a new evaluation system for residents, Competency by Design.

With the new accreditation standards, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Canadian College of Family Physicians have been clear that, moving forward, accreditation will focus much more on Continuous Quality Improvement rather than being a “one-off” event.  As a result, some programs will have more work to do over the upcoming years before they reach full accreditation status.  This is a good thing for quality improvement and we will work with the Colleges and programs to ensure our residents enjoy the best possible training experiences.

Overall, the preliminary results of the accreditation process were very positive.  All of our programs remain accredited and some received commendation for areas of leading practice and innovation.  We will be receiving our final accreditation status report in June 2019.

Discovery Day 2018

Despite the weather, we had a terrific Discovery Day at Dalhousie last month.  This event was hosted by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and sponsored by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation.   Dalhousie University was the only university in the Maritimes to host the event intended to give high school students interested in science, the opportunity to explore a variety of career options in medicine and health sciences.

The students heard a great presentation from one of our leading research scientists, Dr. Christine Chambers.  The post-event evaluations from attendees indicated that the day was a rich and inspiring learning experience for those who could attend:

“Interesting presentation. I loved when hearing from and about women in science. Dr. Chambers is a really great role model for women wanting a start in the health sciences.”

“Today definitely encouraged me to pursue my goals in the medical field. It inspired me to find opportunities related to medicine. It was an amazing opportunity and I am very grateful for it.”

Discovery Awards 2018

Atlantic Canada’s most prestigious science recognition event, the Discovery Awards in honour of Halifax’s Discovery Centre, announced its award winners on November 22nd. Dal researchers won all four major categories at last Thursday night’s ceremony which included Dr. Patrick McGrath and Dr. Michael Schmidt from the Faculty of Medicine.

Get to know the winners and the other Dal finalists here.

 November’s Dal Med Innovator

Our final Dal Med Innovator of 2018 is Dr. Richard Goldbloom; one of the most influential pediatricians in the world.

As head of the Department of Pediatrics at Dalhousie Medical School and physician-in-chief at the IWK Health Centre, Dr. Goldbloom still considers the team of exceptional physicians he built between 1967 and 1985 to be his greatest legacy. At the same time, he was transforming how children were cared for at the IWK. In an era when parents were considered “visitors” and hustled out the door promptly at 5 p.m., Dr. Goldbloom took the radical step of allowing parents to stay with their children all hours of the day and night.

Dr. Goldbloom’s influence grows far beyond the Maritimes. He is a prolific author and editor of the definitive textbook in the field, Pediatric Clinical Skills (now in its fourth printing), has spoken to packed auditoriums at conferences around the world, and continues to be involved as an occasional ambassador for the IWK Foundation.

I invite you to read more about Dr. Goldbloom’s and our previous Innovators’ contributions and achievements here.

 Recipients of the Royal College 2018 Mentor of the Year and Prix d’excellence Specialist of the Year

Congratulations to Drs. Stephen Beed and Philip Tibbo, the recent recipients of the Royal College 2018 Mentor of the Year and Prix d’excellence Specialist of the Year, respectively.

Dr. Beed changed the landscape of critical care in the Atlantic region by redesigning curriculum, training teachers, and getting buy-in from health workers and administrators about the importance of organ donation. It’s Dr. Beed’s humility and ability to incorporate a multitude of perspectives that have contributed to critical care training and organ donation programs that have saved countless lives in Nova Scotia, and have garnered attention around the world.

Dr. Tibbo has been instrumental in changing that misconception and in giving young people hope at the most frightening time of their lives. His passion and commitment have inspired not only young people and their families, but a generation of young psychiatrists.

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Welcomes 2018 Fellows

I’m pleased to share that two of our faculty members were among the newly named Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) 2018 Fellows. Congratulations to Drs. Sultan Darvesh and Chris McMaster.

Dr. Sultan Darvesh holds the Irene MacDonald Sobey Chair in Curative Approaches to Alzheimer’s disease. In 1994, he established the Maritime Brain Tissue Bank, one of the largest in Canada. Through his leadership, the MBTB supports national and international neuroscience research.

Dr. Chris McMaster is the scientific director for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Genetics. He has captured over $30 million in research funding over the last seven years, and helped develop a program that enables trainees to receive skills development beyond lab science.

Complete list of 2018 Fellows can be found here.

 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition

iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) is an international genetic engineering competition. Dalhousie’s team made up of undergraduate science students, called Dal iGEM, recently took home a silver medal at the iGEM conference in Boston. There, along with teams from all over the world, Dal iGEM presented their latest genetic engineering research which included finding a more cost-effective way to test water samples for toxic aluminum levels.  Congratulations Team!!

Appointment of Ops & Policy Manager

Welcome to Lisa Nardecchia will be joining our team as the Ops & Policy Manager effective November 19th (replacing Megan Dixon during her maternity leave). A graduate of Mount Allison University (Bachelor of Arts Degree), Seneca College (Corporate Communications Post-Diploma) and the Nova Scotia Community College (Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management), Lisa has worked in the fields of human resources, communications and program administration. She comes to us following two plus years with the Office of Education within the Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University where she held the roles of Coordinator, Global Health & Evaluation and Education Coordinator. Lisa is currently completing her Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) part-time at Dalhousie University with a focus in policy work, research and data management.

 2018 United Way Campaign

The Faculty of Medicine’s 2018 United Way Campaign is in full swing, raising funds in effort to support hundreds of important programs and resources in our communities. What you may not know, is that the Faculty of Medicine has been the top fundraiser for Dalhousie for the past three years!

The money raised through employee donations and fundraising events supports hundreds of important programs and resources in our communities. Your donation not only changes lives, it stays local. Donations made on our Carleton, Sexton and Studley campuses are directed to United Way Halifax; and funds raised by DMNB will go to United Way Saint John.

I encourage you to get involved in this year’s United Way campaign in any way you can.  This year’s Campaign Coordinators are Jennifer Lewandowski and Wendy MacIntyre (Dean’s Office). If you have any questions or are interested in hosting your own event, please let them know. To stay informed, learn how to make a donation, or find an event near you; visit the Dalhousie United Way web page. The team will also be sharing updates on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #DalUnited.

Faculty of Medicine 2018 Holiday Celebration

Please join us for our Annual Holiday Reception – a festive gathering to cap off a year of remembering and celebrating the past, and imagining and committing to a better future. Enjoy some holiday mingling with faculty, staff and students to celebrate the season of giving and a remarkable 150th anniversary year.

The reception will be held on Friday, December 7, 2018 from 12PM to 1:30PM at the Life Sciences Research Institute Atrium. Refreshments and a light lunch will be served. Please RSVP to deanmed@dal.ca by Friday, November 30, 2018.

I wish all of our students the best of luck with their exams and congratulations again to all our recent award winners. It takes teamwork to achieve great things and we have incredibly strong teams. I’m already looking forward to seeing what we can do in 2019!

Happy Holidays to everyone.

September kicked off a new school year and we’re off to a great start. I hope you are all enjoying the change of seasons and the renewed energy on campus. This is a great time of year to be in Halifax.

Here’s what we have been up to so far this term:

Dean’s Welcome and First Light ceremonies

We recently held our annual Dean’s Welcome and Hippocratic Oath Ceremony in Halifax and First Light ceremony in Saint John to welcome our first-year med students to Dalhousie Medical School and to the practice of medicine.

At the Dean’s Welcome Ceremony, students collectively read their code of conduct, listened to the Hippocratic Oath, and enjoyed musical tributes by members of our humanities program.  At both events it was wonderful to meet many of our incoming students and your families.

Welcome also to our new post-graduate students in Halifax and Saint John.  Best of luck with your studies as well.

 Recognizing world-class Researchers

I am very proud to announce that nine of Dalhousie’s outstanding researchers have been recognized by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), including three from the Faculty of Medicine, for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement. The group is the largest cohort from Dalhousie to ever be inducted into the RSC.

Congratulations to Dr. Anna MacLeod (Medical Education), Dr. Janice Graham (Pediatrics) and Dr. Sherry Stewart (Psychology and Neuroscience). Drs. Graham and Stewart became Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada and Dr. MacLeod was appointed to the Royal College of New Scholars.

Canada150 Research Chair

At the end of the month, we received unfortunate news that Dr. Kate O’Brien will be declining the Canada 150 Chair in Global Health and Vaccinology at Dalhousie.  She will be taking on a position as Director of Vaccines for the World Health Organization in Switzerland.

This is an incredible opportunity for Kate and the position she has accepted is absolutely one of the most important positions in her field in the world.  We wish her nothing but the best in this role.  Although it is a loss to Dalhousie and the medical school, it reflects the incredibly high calibre of leaders and scientists that are looking for careers at Dalhousie.

Molly Appeal 2018

The Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation’s 2018-19 Molly Appeal, launched earlier this month, will provide matching funds to allow Dalhousie Medical School to acquire a very important new piece of equipment that will be used by researchers in dozens of labs at our school.

The equipment, called the Image Stream X Mark II, will benefit of both the I3V (Infection, Immunology, Inflammation and Virology) and Genomics in Medicine WAVE 1 teams. It This instrument combines the ability to separate single cells in a stream of fluid with a high resolution microscope to capture the architecture and composition of each individual cell rapidly as it flows through the visual field. Thousands of individual cells can be analyzed per second with this technology. The Molly Appeal will also provide support for a graduate student training program in bioinformatics.

Ours is the only medical school in Canada that is served by an independent charitable organization. DMRF’s purpose is to support Dalhousie Medical School scientists and their research activities. Though the Molly Appeal is just one of many ways the Foundation helps advance health research in our region, its legacy has contributed to the success and excellence of our researchers and the science they do for more than 35 years.

I am proud to be a member of DMRF’s board of directors, and I wish the Molly Appeal team much luck with this year’s campaign.

 September’s Dal Med Innovator

In honour of Dalhousie Community Day held on September 9^th, our September Dal Med Innovator is Dr. Margaret Casey – a leader in serving marginalized communities.

Dr. Casey grew up in Toronto but lived in Halifax during the Second World War. She returned to Halifax in 1963 to go to Dalhousie Medical School and chose the path of general practice. Dr. Casey was a driving force in the establishment of the North End Clinic in Halifax.

Dalhousie has been a constant in Dr. Casey’s life throughout her North End Clinic years and beyond. She has mentored medical students and residents at the clinic, helping them see and appreciate the complex struggles of people living on the margins. She credits the connections she made at the medical school with helping her link patients to specialist care.

She is well known by Dalhousie medical alumni from the six years she spent as the medical school’s director of admissions; later, she served as president of the Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association.

Read more about Dr. Casey and our Dal Med Innovators here.

Head of the Department of Pharmacology

I’m happy to announce that Dr. Christopher J. Sinal has been appointed the new Head of the Department of Pharmacology.  Dr. Sinal joined the Department of Pharmacology at Dalhousie University in 2002 and established an independent research program in adipocyte biology funded by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. The findings from his research program have provided important advances to our understanding of obesity, type 2 diabetes and chronic bone loss disorders such as osteoporosis.

Recognition must be given to Dr. Chris McMaster, who has served as Department Head since 2012.  Under Dr. McMaster’s leadership over the past six years, the Department has greatly advanced its academic contributions and strategic goals. Dr. McMaster has been appointed as scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Genetics, the first CIHR Institute in Atlantic Canada. The office will employ a small staff of six people and is now housed in the former DMRF space on the ground floor of the Tupper Building. Congratulations to Dr. McMaster.  Having such an institute in Halifax will be helpful for our entire research community.

 Upcoming Town Halls

In follow up to the implementation of our Faculty of Medicine strategic plan #DalMedForward we will be hosting three town halls this academic year, each one dedicated to one of three pillars of the plan.  The first town hall will update faculty, students and staff on the progress made on the Education Pillar of #DalMedForward.  This town hall will be co-hosted by our Education strategic plan lead, Dr. Jennifer Hall on Tuesday, October 30th from 5PM to 6 PM in Theatre A of the Tupper Building.  The event will provide a forum for discussion of current or anticipated influencers on the education in the Faculty of Medicine over the next three years.

150th celebrations

2018 is flying by, but we still have plenty of anniversary celebrations left with a series of faculty and department events, lectures, and activities taking place in Halifax – both internally at Dalhousie and within our local community – in addition to satellite hosts within the Maritimes.

In September Med150 events were hosted by the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry. As well, the much anticipated Global Health Day, hosted by the Global Health Office. Celebrating eight years, this annual event highlighted the variety of global health activities taking place at Dalhousie, including International Education, Service Learning, Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians (PLANS), and Indigenous Health in Medicine.

Stay tuned for our October events hosted by the departments of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics, and Radiology.

Save the Date! Our DalMed150 Gala Celebration Weekend is just around the corner!

We will kick off on November 1 with the Inaugural Immuno-Oncology Conference hosted by the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation. The event will take place at the Prince George Hotel in downtown Halifax from 8:30AM to 1PM and will provide attendees with leading-edge information about immunotherapies and how these progressive research modalities promote anti-cancer immunity.

This will be followed by a symposium on November 2, 2018 on addressing the health care needs of the next generation which will take place between 8AM and 12 PM at the Nova Centre.  This symposium is open to all students, staff and faculty and will feature talks from Dr. Lindsay Peach, VP Integrated Health Services Community Support and Management, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Mr. Andre Picard, National Health Reporter and Columnist, Globe and Mail, and Ms. Maureen MacDonald, Canadian academic and politician. Guest presentations will be followed by a Speaker Panel with facilitated questions from Dr. Richard Florizone, President, Dalhousie University; as well as open questions from the audience.

In the afternoon of November 2, 2018 at 3PM, I invite you to a take a guided tour of our research and education labs and facilities at the Tupper Building. This tour will be followed by a welcome reception in the Tupper Foyer at 5PM open to all alumni, faculty, staff and students.  Later that evening a number of alumni gatherings will be taking place in Halifax.

On the morning of November 3, 2018, there will be a fun run/walk from the Tupper Building with registration beginning at 7AM (runs begins at 8:30AM).  At 11AM, I will be hosting a luncheon to honour our twelve Dal Med Innovators in the CHEB building.  Again, these events are open to all alumni, students, staff and faculty and we would love to see you there. The weekend will wind down with a breakfast hosted by Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation and even more alumni events.

On the evening of November 3, 2018 we will be having our gala dinner and dance at the Nova Centre beginning at 6PM.  The gala on Saturday, November 3^rd is sold out, but you can request to add your name to our waitlist by emailing us at dean.medicine@dal.ca. There are still spots open for other weekend activities, so mark your calendars, gather your family and friends and don’t forget to register here!

For a full list of events and schedules, check out our Med150 events page.

I wish all of our incoming students, the Class of 2022, as well as our returning students a safe and happy Fall!