Five accomplished scientists recognized for their achievements confronting complex health challenges

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) has recognized five UCalgary faculty members for their positive impact on the urgent health concerns of Canadians. Dr. Jean Addington, PhD; Dr. Susan Kutz, PhD; Dr. Braden Manns, MD; Dr. Mark Swain, MD; and Dr.Keith Yeates, PhD, were inducted into the academy on Sept. 19, 2019.

CAHS fellows advise the public and private sectors on complex health challenges, providing strategic and actionable solutions to help inform public policy. They do so through interdisciplinary and evidence-based assessments.

• Photo above, from left: Drs. Mark Swain, Jean Addington, Susan Kutz, Keith Yeats, and Braden Manns. University of Calgary photos

“As leaders in their field, and now fellows in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, these five scholars are making tremendous progress in how we address Canadians’ most pressing health concerns,” says Andre Buret, interim vice-president (research). “This honour will expand the reach of their research as they offer their expertise on matters of critical importance.”

Dr. Jean Addington, PhD

• Professor, Department of Psychiatry, and member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM)

Dr. Addington is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Calgary and holds the Novartis Chair in Schizophrenia. She has published over 300 manuscripts on her expertise of schizophrenia, early psychosis and early prevention of serious mental illness. Her internationally recognized research is attested by Clarivate Analytics naming her one of 2018’s Highly Cited Researchers. Her clinical research programs have fostered better predictors of youth and adolescents who are at risk for serious mental illness, and the development of psychosocial treatments for those at risk for psychosis.

Dr. Susan Jean Kutz, PhD

• Professor, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and member of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the Cumming School of Medicine

Dr. Kutz is an internationally respected leader in One Health in the Arctic, has spent over two decades studying climate change impacts on wildlife health and consequences for conservation, food security and community health. She partners with Indigenous hunters to combine science and local knowledge to improve understanding of Arctic wildlife and implement effective disease surveillance methodologies. She has engaged under‐represented youth in STEM programs and done outreach in Dene and Inuit communities since 2004. With over 120 peer‐reviewed publications and books/book chapters, 67 invited talks, 150 trainees, and several board memberships, she is well recognized nationally and internationally.

Dr. Braden Manns, MD

• Professor, departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, and member of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta at the Cumming School of Medicine

Dr. Manns is a specialist in kidney diseases, the Svare Professor in Health Economics, and the associate chief medical officer of Alberta Health Service’s Strategic Clinical Networks. The mission of the Svare Chair is to develop a world-class health economics research and academic program that focuses on evaluating the clinical and economic impact of health care technologies and health care policies of relevance to health care policy makers. His unique research expertise in applied health economics, health-care policy and pragmatic trials has led him to contribute to significant policy changes in cancer screening, drug policy and patient-oriented kidney care.

Dr. Mark Swain, MD

• Professor, Department of Medicine, head, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cal Wenzel Family Foundation Chair in Hepatology, and member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease at the Cumming School of Medicine

Dr. Swain is one of Canada’s leading liver specialists, recognized nationally and internationally for his commitment to innovation in improving liver disease patient care. As a highly regarded clinician scientist, he has ​successfully linked basic bench and clinical research findings to enhance our understanding of, and improve treatments for, liver diseases. His work is regularly highlighted through his impressive publication record, numerous invited talks and journal/granting agency reviews, and interviews with lay media. He has successfully partnered with medical and patient groups, and government, to enhance the understanding, treatment and appreciation of the impact of liver disease in society. ​

Dr. Keith Yeates, PhD

• Professor, Department of Psychology, and member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM)

Dr. Yeates is a world-leading researcher in the field of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the most highly published author on childhood TBI and concussion in the world over the past decade. A neuropsychologist, Yeates has conducted innovative and clinically impactful research regarding the environment’s role in children’s recovery from TBI, the social outcomes of childhood brain disorders, and the diagnosis and management of childhood concussion. Through outstanding mentorship and leadership nationally and internationally, Yeates has advanced the science and practice of neuropsychology, and helped to improve outcomes for children and families dealing with the challenge of TBI.