Together, we’re not only keeping pace with change – we’re helping shape a healthier future for everyone.”
Dear readers,
As a young medical student, I remember learning about statins – a new class of drugs showing early promise for lowering cholesterol.
First approved for use in Canada in the early 1990s, statins took years to gain traction. Information spread slowly, through medical journals, clinical updates and careful public health messaging delivered by trusted voices in traditional media.
It’s a different world now.
As we saw with the mRNA vaccines introduced during COVID-19, we’re living in a time where information – and misinformation – spreads like wildfire. Where finding accurate, credible health information feels a bit like standing in Times Square with 100 flashing billboards clamouring for your attention.
Medical misinformation is now itself an epidemic, infiltrating exam rooms and challenging scientific evidence. As health-care leaders, researchers, clinicians and scientists, we confront the fallout daily, under the weight of growing public scrutiny and mistrust.
This issue’s cover story explores this urgent challenge.
The alumni and experts you’ll meet are combating this crisis this head-on, reminding us health care isn’t just about data, information and science, but about trust, responsibility, and the courage to speak clearly in uncertain times.
And as the nature of health-related challenges evolves, so too must the tools we use to meet them.
That’s why I’m excited to share another major story in this issue: the Western Bioconvergence Centre.
Featured on page 44, this once-in-a-generation facility is set to transform medical education and supercharge research at Western. A cornerstone of the University’s $1-billion fundraising campaign, the Centre will bring together medicine, health sciences, engineering and science to accelerate the next wave of biomedical breakthroughs.
Yes, much has changed. And there’s much more to come.
But in the face of uncertainty, our community continues to lead with integrity, conviction and compassion.
Together, we’re not only keeping pace with change – we’re helping shape a healthier future for everyone.
And I’m excited to see what’s next.
John Yoo, MD, FRCS(C), FACS
Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
