Seven McMaster researchers are being recognized this year by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for their contributions to research and scholarship.

Four researchers have been elected to the RSC as Fellows, a distinction awarded to Canadians who have made remarkable contributions to the arts, the humanities, the sciences or Canadian public life.

Three researchers have been named to the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The college recognizes mid-career leaders who are helping Canada and the world address major challenges and seize new opportunities, including those identified in emerging fields.

The new appointments reflect the excellence, creativity and impact of McMaster’s research community, says Gianni Parise, vice-president (Research).

“We are tremendously proud of our new Royal Society of Canada Fellows and College members. This recognition reflects not only their exceptional scholarship and leadership, but also the spirit of innovation and impact that defines McMaster,” Parise says.

“It’s a testament to the remarkable talent and dedication of our researchers, whose work continues to push boundaries, inspire new ways of thinking and create positive change in Canada and around the world.”

The Class of 2025 Fellows and College members will be inducted into the Royal Society of Canada at its annual Celebration of Excellence and Engagement in Montreal, Nov. 12 to 16.

These are the new Royal Society Fellows:

Daniel Coleman | Professor Emeritus, English & Cultural Studies 

Coleman is internationally renowned for Canadian literary and cultural studies research and teaching on what he calls an “ecology of knowledges”—the ways of knowing that emerge between different cultures in contestation and dialogue.

Over the past 30 years, his awarded publications have opened doors for a wide public audience to understand how narratives of race, nationalism, immigration, diaspora and indigeneity shape the canons of what we know.

Stuart Phillips | Professor, Kinesiology 

Phillips is a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health, a Distinguished University Professor and a highly regarded human physiologist.

Globally recognized for his pioneering work on nutrition and physical activity’s role in preserving skeletal muscle health, he is among the most cited researchers worldwide.

His award-winning, multidisciplinary research has significantly advanced exercise physiology and developed evidence-based strategies enhancing dietary health and mobility for aging Canadians.

Parminder Raina | Professor, Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact 

Raina is an internationally recognized epidemiologist and scholar whose work over the past two decades has advanced the fields of longitudinal research design, evidence synthesis and aging research.

His pioneering contributions have helped bridge the biological dimensions of aging with the social determinants of health, offering deeper insights into the trajectories of aging.

In 2022, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his significant impact on aging research.

Allison Williams | Professor, Earth, Environment & Society 

Trained as a health geographer, Williams is a recipient of three CIHR Research Chairs.

As a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Care Economy, Aging & Policy, she builds evidence for the importance of supporting carer-workers via carer-friendly workplace policies.

Williams co-edits a Routledge book series (20+ titles) and continues to contribute to the development of therapeutic landscape theory, a key conceptual innovation in environment and health inquiry.

These are the new College members:

Olufemi Ayeni | Professor, Surgery  

Ayeni, Canada Research Chair in Joint Preservation Surgery, is an orthopaedic surgeon internationally renowned for advancing joint preservation care across the human lifespan.

His research has resulted in the protection and prevention of joint injuries in adolescence, minimally invasive treatments that curb degenerative joint disease development in young adults, and novel treatments that delay or avoid the onset of osteoarthritis — the most prevalent cause of disability in older adults.

Allan Downey | Associate Professor, History; Joint Appointment, Indigenous Studies 

Downey is a member of the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation and an internationally renowned Canada Research Chair working in Indigenous history.

His innovative research on Indigenous self-determination and emphasis on community-engaged methods, public knowledge mobilization, and Indigenous youth mentorship have been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the Canada Prize for best scholarly book in the humanities and social sciences, a Fulbright Fellowship and over sixty invited lectures.

Stelios Georgiades | Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences

Georgiades, Director of McMaster University’s Offord Centre for Child Studies, is a global leader in autism research.

His innovative and award-winning cohort studies have advanced our understanding of autism symptoms and outcomes, resulting in the implementation of personalized approaches to autism services and supports.

Benefiting thousands of Canadians living with autism, his leadership and evidence-based advocacy were instrumental in creating the Ontario Autism Program and the National Autism Strategy.