Honours: Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers among new Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Fellows

Image of Western CampusBy Communications

Three Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry researchers are among the 71 new Fellows selected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) for 2022.

Frank Beier, Dr. Ruth Lanius, and Kathy Nixon Speechley were among those given the honour. C. Nadine Wathen, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, was also selected.

The CAHS fellowship recognizes individuals who represent excellence in health sciences, demonstrating a strong commitment to their field of expertise through their life and work. CAHS Fellows are nominated by their peers and selected in a competitive process based on their internationally recognized leadership, academic performance, scientific creativity, and willingness to serve.

“Becoming a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences recognizes Fellows’ dedication to health sciences,” says Dr. Sioban Nelson, President, CAHS. “We are proud of their accomplishments, and we are honoured to welcome them to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.”


Head shot of Frank BeierFrank Beier, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry

Frank Beier is the Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Research. His research is in the area of osteoarthritis, and in particular in the genetic and molecular basis of this disorder. He has published approximately 150 peer-reviewed articles and made major contributions to our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving osteoarthritis. He is the 2019 recipient of the OARSI Basic Science award, one of the main international awards in his field.


Head shot of Dr. Ruth LaniusDr. Ruth Lanius, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry

Dr. Ruth Lanius is a Psychiatry Professor, Harris-Woodman Chair, and the director of the Clinical Research Program for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She has received numerous awards, including the Banting Award for Military Health Research. She has published more than 150 research articles and book chapters focusing on brain adaptations to psychological trauma and novel adjunct treatments for PTSD. She lectures on the topic of psychological trauma and has co-authored three books: "The Effects of Early Life Trauma on Health and Disease,” “Healing the Traumatized Self,” and “Overcoming Obstacles in Trauma Treatment.”


Head shot of Kathy SpeechleyKathy Nixon Speechley, Professor, Departments of Paediatrics and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry

Kathy Nixon Speechley is a Professor in the Departments of Paediatrics and Epidemiology & Biostatistics and a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and Children’s Health Research Institute. An epidemiologist, her primary research focus is determinants of quality of life in children with chronic health conditions with an emphasis on improving quality of life in children with epilepsy. Her publications describing key risk and protective factors for quality of life in childhood epilepsy have contributed to advances in family-centred care. She is a Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society, Past Chair of the Canadian Pediatric Epilepsy Network and was its inaugural representative on the Board of Directors, Canadian League Against Epilepsy.


Head Shot of C. Nadine WathenC. Nadine Wathen, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing

Nadine Wathen is Professor in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing and Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Mobilizing Knowledge on Gender-Based Violence (GBV). As an internationally-renowned scholar in the areas of GBV and health inequities, she is generating and mobilizing knowledge that has significantly impacted responses to violence and inequity in Canada and abroad. Wathen is committed to using research to improve policy, practice, and public responses to enhance well-being and advance justice for those experiencing interpersonal and structural violence and inequity.