Five professors of the Faculty of Health Sciences are joining the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) as fellows. This election is considered the highest recognition of excellence in Canadian academic health sciences. The five new McMaster CAHS fellows are Lori Burrows, Maureen Dobbins, Alfonso Iorio, Mitchell Levine and Maureen Markle-Reid.

The CAHS recognizes excellence in health sciences, and the fellows are chosen by their peers for demonstrated commitment through their careers and lives to their field of expertise.

Their CAHS citations are:

Lori Burrows, professor, Departments of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and Pathology and Molecular Medicine:

“Professor Lori Burrows is a world leader in the study of bacterial interactions with surfaces, key to establishing chronic infections through the formation of antibiotic-tolerant biofilm communities. Her innovative work at the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research is leading the fight against drug-resistant superbugs. Her outstanding research accomplishments, international leadership in the microbiology community and dedicated mentorship of the next generation of scientists were recognized with election in 2017 to the prestigious American Academy of Microbiology and the 2020 Murray Award for Career Achievement from the Canadian Society for Microbiologists.”

Maureen Dobbins, professor, School of Nursing, and scientific director of the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools:

“Dr. Maureen Dobbins is a world-renowned leader in evidence-informed public health. A professor of nursing at McMaster University, she is building capacity among a generation of public health decision makers across Canada to find and use best available evidence for policy and practice. She created the world’s most comprehensive database of systematic reviews in public health, a national knowledge broker mentoring program, a suite of online learning resources and co-created a citizen-targeted evidence portal on optimal aging. She responded to decision maker requests for rapid reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic and her advice is sought by organizations throughout Canada and internationally.”

Alfonso Iorio, professor and chair, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact:

“Dr. Alfonso Iorio is an internationally renowned hematologist whose research harnesses information technology and communications strategies to augment the transfer and application of best evidence at the point of care for patients with haemophilia and allied bleeding disorders. Lay citizens and patients are fully included at all stages of his research, which has resulted in more efficient, timely ways to incorporate new evidence into education, practice, and procedures. His research findings have been transferred into software applications used by thousands of doctors and patients in more than 100 countries.”

Mitchell Levine, professor, Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact:

“Dr. Mitchell Levine is a professor at McMaster University and assistant dean for the master’s and PhD program in Health Research Methodology. He is a leader in the safe, effective, and appropriate use of medications in Canada, achieving this distinction through his research productivity, educational roles, and activities as an advisor to governments relating to pharmaceutical policies. Mitchell has demonstrated leadership in many pharmacological societies in Canada and internationally, and was editor-in-chief for two peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has been the director of two research centres, one focussing on the use of medications and the other on health technology assessment.”

Maureen Markle-Reid, professor and Canada Research Chair in Person-Centred Interventions for Older Adults with Multimorbidity and their Caregivers, School of Nursing:

“Dr. Maureen Markle-Reid’s internationally recognized research program focuses on developing, implementing, evaluating and scaling-up integrated, patient-oriented interventions to improve care and outcomes for older adults with multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions) and their caregivers living in the community. As part of this work, she focuses on advancing the science of patient-oriented health care intervention research. She fosters partnerships between researchers and knowledge users – clinicians, policy makers, patients, caregivers – to produce research that directly responds to the information needs of these groups. Dr. Markle-Reid’s work has had international and national impact and resulted in evidence-based solutions that address the challenges of multimorbidity, a priority for global health research.”

A total of 74 fellows from across Canada were elected to the CAHS in the annual election.