Announcement: Dr. Jane Rylett appointed Associate Dean and Director, Animal Research Facilities

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jane Rylett has been appointed as Associate Dean and Director of Animal Research Facilities, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, effective August 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022. Dr. Rylett has served as Chair, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology since 2005.

Dr. Rylett is a Distinguished University Professor at Western University. She is a cellular and molecular neuroscientist, and recognized nationally and internationally for her contributions to cholinergic neurobiology and Alzheimer’s disease research. Following a PhD in Pharmacology, she trained at University College London, England and Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany. She served as Director of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at Western University, and also as an Associate Director at Robarts Research Institute.

Dr. Rylett’s research has been funded by several agencies, including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, Alzheimer’s Association [USA], Ontario Mental Health Foundation and Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. In addition to her research, Dr. Rylett is a dedicated teacher to undergraduate and graduate learners and a supportive mentor to her colleagues.

Dr. Rylett is currently a member of the Alzheimer Society of Canada Research Policy Committee, and has served as Chair of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario Research Advisory Council. She was appointed as Chair of the CIHR Institute of Aging Advisory Board from 2009-2012 and was a member of the Advisory Board from 2003. In 2014, she began her role as Leader of Theme 1 [Primary Prevention] of the CIHR - Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA). She was recently appointed as one of the inaugural College Chairs of the CIHR College of Reviewers and will serve in that role until2020.

Dr. Rylett has received numerous research awards including the Claude P. Beaubien Award from the Alzheimer Society of Canada and the AltaPharm Senior Scientist Award from the Pharmacological Society of Canada. She was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada for contributions made through volunteer work related to Alzheimer’s disease and the aging population. She was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2013.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Rylett on her appointment.


Dr. Michael J. Strong
Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Distinguished University Professor
Arthur J Hudson Chair in ALS Research
Scientist, Robarts Research Institute