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Three researchers awarded fellowships in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
By Colleen MacDonald
New CAHS Fellows recognized for advancing knowledge, improving health and shaping healthier societies
By Colleen MacDonald
Three researchers at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry have been elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), one of Canada’s highest honours in health sciences research and leadership.
Mansour Haeryfar, PhD, Nicole Redvers, DPhil, and Dr. Victor Yang were nominated and elected CAHS Fellows by their peers in recognition of their leadership, research productivity and demonstrated commitment to advancing public health outcomes, among other criteria. The researchers now join a distinguished national network of health scientists, clinicians and scholars whose expertise informs health policy, research and health-system improvements across Canada.
The scholars are three of the 59 new Fellows announced Aug. 25. Drawn from Canadian universities, health-care and research institutes, CAHS Fellows support the academy in generating evidence-informed guidance and leadership to address urgent health concerns facing Canadians.
Mansour Haeryfar, PhD
Mansour Haeryfar, PhD, professor in immunology, leads research that has transformed our understanding of immune responses in health, infectious diseases and cancer.
An advocate for immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases, he has pioneered novel vaccination strategies against respiratory viruses and led a team that invented the application of a bacterial molecule to make vaccines more effective. Haeryfar has also developed effective experimental immunotherapies for sepsis and cancer. He engages global media to make research accessible. As president of the Canadian Society for Immunology, his leadership advanced Canada’s scientific standing around the world.
Learn more about Mansour Haeryfar on The Catalysts podcast: Fighting cancer with MAIT cells
Nicole Redvers, DPhil
Western research chair Nicole Redvers, DPhil, a member of the Deninu K’ue First Nation (NWT), is the director of Indigenous Planetary Health at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Her research examines the links between climate change, ecological health and Indigenous health promotion. Redvers also serves as vice-president of research for the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada. She advises several World Health Organization technical groups and co-leads the health and wellbeing section of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.
Learn more about Nicole Redvers on The Catalysts podcast: Indigenous knowledges and planetary health
Dr. Victor Yang
Neurosurgery and medical biophysics professor, Dr. Victor Yang, is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon, clinician-scientist and engineering innovator.
Yang’s research has advanced cutting-edge machine-vision surgical robotics and smart material implants for neurovascular diseases and spinal injuries. He has translated discoveries into clinical practice through multiple medical technology companies, improving patient care in Canada and across the globe. He also holds the inaugural Charles G. Drake Chair in Neurosurgery Research.
Learn more about Victor Yang on The Catalysts podcast: Engineering the future of neurosurgery