Four UCalgary faculty named Canada Research Chairs

The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) named four University of Calgary faculty members to its ranks on June 2, in recognition of their achievements and pursuit of research excellence. UCalgary is now home to 67 active Canada Research Chairs (CRCs). Three additional scholars have also had their CRCs renewed.

“I’m pleased to see seven distinguished UCalgary scholars named Canada Research Chairs today,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). “They all have ambitious research goals that will address society’s most pressing challenges. They will shape the future of their fields both through their research and their commitment to training the next generation.”

The CRCP invests up to $311 million per year to bolster research excellence and innovation within Canadian post-secondary institutions. This cycle of CRCs is contributing world-class knowledge in many research disciplines, including economics of sustainability and globalization, processing of viral vectors and vaccines, Indigenization of higher education, stem cell models of childhood disease, among others.

“Our government recognizes that investing in researchers and scientists results in breakthroughs to advance our society, and benefits all Canadians,” says François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry. “The Canada Research Chairs Program provides a unique opportunity for researchers to push boundaries and make cutting-edge discoveries with lasting impacts across the health, environment, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities disciplines.”

The complete list of new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at the University of Calgary: 

New chairs:

• Dr. Justin Deniset, PhD, Tier 2 CIHR CRC in Translational Immuno-Cardiology (Cumming School of Medicine)
  assistant professor, department of Cardiac Sciences and Physiology & Pharmacology, member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute
• Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD, Tier 2 CIHR CRC in Indigenous Health Systems Safety (Cumming School of Medicine)
  assistant professor in the departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences, member of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Education & Research
• Dr. Lina Kattan, PhD, Tier 1 NSERC CRC in Integrative Transportation Systems through Automation and Connectivity (Schulich School of Engineering)
• Dr. Alain Pietroniro, PhD, Tier 1 NSERC CRC in Sustainable Water Systems in a Changing Climate (Schulich School of Engineering)

Renewals:

• Dr. Marco Gallo, PhD, Tier 2 CIHR CRC in Brain Cancer Epigenomics (Cumming School of Medicine)
  associate professor departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Physiology & Pharmacology, member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and Charbonneau Cancer Institute
• Dr. Nils Forkert, PhD, Tier 2 NSERC CRC in Medical Image Analysis (Cumming School of Medicine)
  associate professor departments of Radiology and Clinical Neurosciences, member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute
• Dr. Joule Bergerson, PhD, Tier 2 NSERC CRC in Energy Technology Assessment (Schulich School of Engineering)