University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine

11/14/2025

Dr. Lisa Welikovitch, MD, FRCPC, has been selected as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women of 2025: Top 100! ⚡

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Welikovitch, the senior associate dean of Education at the Cu***ng School of Medicine (CSM) and professor of Cardiac Sciences.

Dr. Welikovitch has dedicated her career to advancing medical education. She served as program director of the cardiology residency training program for 10 years and currently leads the team responsible for all aspects of health professions education at the CSM.

A former associate dean of Postgraduate Medical Education, Dr. Welikovitch has received several teaching awards including the Canadian Association of Medical Education Award of Merit. She is also a cardiologist based at Calgary’s Foothills Medical Center.

Presented by the Women's Executive Network (WXN), the Top 100 Women awards honour extraordinary achievement and courageous leadership.

Congratulations to Dr. Welikovitch! 👏🏼

Libin Cardiovascular Institute | University of Calgary

11/14/2025

Applauding Avenue Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 Awardees from (pictured clockwise from left) who are driving health discovery and innovation at early stages in their careers!

⭐ Dr. Ana Nikolic, MD, PhD, neuropathologist
⭐ Dr. Leah Mayo, PhD, Parker Research Chair in Psychedelics
⭐ Dr. Serena Orr, MD, pediatric neurologist
⭐ Dr. Joe Kendal, MD, orthopedic oncology surgeon
⭐ Dr. David Langelier, MD, medical lead, Alberta Cancer Physiatry
⭐ Dr. Adam Muzychuk, ophthalmologist
⭐ Dr. Sayeh Bayat, PhD, director, Healthy City Lab

🔗 Read more about their ambitious work: https://www.avenuecalgary.com/top-40-under-40/2025-class/

Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI | O'Brien Institute for Public Health | Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute | McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health | Charbonneau Cancer Institute | UCalgary Arts | Schulich School of Engineering

Portrait credits: Jared Sych, Avenue Magazine

11/12/2025

🥳 Congratulations to Vanier Graduate Scholarship winners of 2025 Araz Minhas, Jessica Scheufen and Zainab Khan!

Forging new paths in neuroscience, their research conducted at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI and the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute is investigating pediatric intensive care, stress-related neurobiology and anesthetic neurotoxicity.

The Vanier Scholarships are one of Canada’s most prestigious graduate awards, recognizing doctoral students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership.

👇 Read more about the recipients in the story linked below.

At the University of Calgary's Cu***ng School of Medicine, three PhD students are turning neuroscience into impact.

University of Calgary's 2025 Vanier Scholars, Araz Minhas, Jessica Scheufen and Zainab Khan, are each advancing brain health in unique ways.

Minhas is developing AI tools to help critically ill children communicate. Scheufen is exploring how the brain’s endocannabinoid system influences stress. Khan is studying how anesthetics affect brain function and safety.

Their research embodies the leadership, collaboration and innovation that define the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Read the full UToday article: https://bit.ly/47H0yTd

11/06/2025

Dr. Oluwatomilayo (Tito) Daodu, MD, MPH, FRCSC, has been selected as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women of 2025: Top 100! ⚡

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Daodu, the assistant dean of Research & Scholarship with the Precision Equity & Social Justice Office, and an assistant professor of Surgery and Community Health Sciences at the Cu***ng School of Medicine (CSM).

Dr. Daodu, who is also a pediatric surgeon at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, is committed to eliminating systemic barriers in surgical care for equity-deserving populations, and nationally recognized as a leader in research, education and advocacy.

She says she is honoured to be included among the women selected for this award:

“I’m so grateful for this recognition, as it really reflects the dedication and collaboration of so many amazing people I get to work with at CSM and beyond. The fact that I get to do the work I do is a testament to the support I have received from so many.”

Presented by the Women's Executive Network (WXN), the Top 100 Women awards honour extraordinary achievement and courageous leadership.

👏🏽 Congratulations to Dr. Tito Daodu.

Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute | O'Brien Institute for Public Health | University of Calgary

11/04/2025

“It's been the journey of a lifetime.”

Leading spinal cord injury researcher, Dr. Aaron Phillips, PhD, has watched a research notion grow from concept to life-changing reality.

His research, focused on tapping into the nervous system to solve cardiovascular health problems, includes a new technology to help restore blood pressure balance for people with spinal cord injury, like Cody Krebs.

🔗 Dr. Phillips describes the rewarding trek from idea to implementation that started at : https://bit.ly/3Js59AP

👇🏼 WATCH below.

Libin Cardiovascular Institute | Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI | McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health |

10/31/2025

Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD, a renowned leader in dementia and Indigenous health research, received a 2025 Killam Emerging Research Leader Award last week! 👏🏼

As the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Health Systems Safety, Dr. Roach leads the program that integrates anti-racism and decolonial frameworks to improve brain health services for Indigenous communities.

Research director of Indigenous Engagement in the Office of the Vice-President (Research) at UCalgary, Dr. Roach also holds dual leadership roles at the O'Brien Institute for Public Health as deputy director and associate scientific director.

Applause and thanks to Dr. Roach!

👉🏼 Read more about her work: https://bit.ly/4oM6hhC

Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI | Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute | UCalgary Indigenous Health Program

10/27/2025

Huge congrats to these dedicated family docs, medical residents, and current student who have received Alberta College of Family Physicians 2025 Awards!

⭐ Family Physician of the Year: Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren, MD (pictured top left)

⭐ Outstanding New Professional: Dr. Amanda Wang, MD

⭐ Recognition of Excellence Awards:
~ Dr. Antonia Morris, MD
~ Dr. Omid Pour-ahmadi, MD
~ Dr. Lee Rehak, MD
~ Dr. Anthony Seto, MD’12, (pictured bottom left)
~ Dr. Mehwish Warsi, MD

⭐ Family Medicine Resident Leadership Awards:
~ Dr Pauwlina Cyca, MD’23
~ Dr. Kapilan Panchendrabose, MD

⭐ Student Leadership - Rising Star Award: Erin Zader

➡️ Read more about them: https://bit.ly/40TObBu

Rural Health Professions Action Plan | University of Calgary Alumni | Rural Medicine (DLRI) UofC

10/24/2025

Did you know there are 10 Graduate Science Education courses offered by the Cu***ng School of Medicine (CSM), plus a master’s program in Precision Health?

Not everyone knows that these courses are offered right here on our Foothills campus, adjacent to the Foothills Medical Centre and the new Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Opportunities abound to further your education in the health sciences as a grad student. Both thesis- and course-based, with online learning options for the Precision Health Program, choose from Immunology, Biomedical Technology, Community Health Sciences and more.

👉🏼 Learn more about all of the Graduate Science Education offerings at the CSM: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/gse/future-students/explore-programs

And find out more at GRADexpo next week, over at the main UCalgary campus. Precision Health Program representatives will be there to answer all your questions. Find details and registration below.

University of Calgary - Faculty of Graduate Studies | Charbonneau Cancer Institute | Libin Cardiovascular Institute| Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases

Thinking about graduate school?

Join us for the first in-person GRADexpo on October 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hunter Student Commons.

This is your chance to explore over 225 graduate credentials, connect with representatives from 14 University of Calgary Faculties, and ask questions about admissions, funding and career opportunities.

Whether you’re still exploring or ready to apply, we’re here to support your next step.

Discover your future at UCalgary: https://bit.ly/4okhPbP

10/20/2025

We are delighted by recently announced federal support of the Youth Mental Health Fund.

This new funding will help more Alberta youth access timely and culturally responsive mental health care.

Announced last week at the University of Calgary, an additional $10-million from Health Canada will expand the Integrated Youth Services’ Kickstand program, led by Dr. Gina Dimitropolous, PhD, and including a team of researchers from many disciplines across .

Dr. Dimitropolous acknowledges that youth-led work will help ensure research and service delivery approaches used within the Kickstand program are meaningful and relevant to diverse youth, especially those who are under-represented and marginalized.

👇🏼 Listen below.

🔗 Read more: https://ucalgary.ca/news/25-million-cihr-grant-invests-youth-led-research-improve-health-and-wellness-services

University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work | Hotchkiss Brain Institute - HBI | Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute | O'Brien Institute for Public Health | Canadian Institutes of Health Research

10/15/2025

Curious about how to return to activities after an injury, or how to approach exercise with sore joints?

Drs. Laurie Hiemstra, MD, PhD, and Lauren Beaupre, PT, PhD, have the expertise and the answers. They are two of the featured speakers at the upcoming 2025 Wood Forum.

All are invited to this free, informative event hosted by the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health!

Nov. 8 at MacEwan Hall, University of Calgary main campus

➡ REGISTER here: https://mccaig.ucalgary.ca/news-events/wood-forum

10/09/2025

Did you know that toenails hold a wealth of information about your exposure to environmental toxins like radon?

Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, PhD’05, leads a University of Calgary research team investigating environmental causes of lung cancer such as radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas you can’t see or smell.

The team has launched a nation-wide call for toenail clippings to be analyzed in a highly specialized lab.

In a pilot study published this week by Environment International, Dr. Goodarzi and co-principal investigator Dr. Michael Wieser, PhD’98, showed that measuring radioactive lead in toenails is a promising way to estimate a person’s long-term radon exposure.

Findings are significant because lung cancer screening programs can’t yet include radon exposure as one of the risk criteria. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after to***co smoking, but exposure is difficult to report.

This new research hopes to change that.

Dr. Goodarzi describes toenails as one of our body’s archives of past exposure: “After you inhale radon, it quite quickly transforms into a specific type of radioactive lead,” he explains. “Your body treats radioactive lead from radon like it does all lead and stores it in slow-shedding tissues such as the skin, hair and nails.”

Toenails are especially useful for analysis because, compared to fingernails or hair, they are more protected from many of the chemical contaminants people routinely come into contact with. The research team is currently recruiting thousands of participants to join the Long-Term Radon Exposure Biomarker (Toenail) Study.

“We believe we’ve discovered a reliable, quantitative way to measure long-term radon exposure at an individual level,” says Dr. Wieser.

⬇️ Read more: https://bit.ly/4q3OfJa ⬇️

Charbonneau Cancer Institute| University of Calgary Faculty of Science| Canadian Cancer Society| Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Measuring levels of certain radioactive isotopes in toenails may reveal a person’s long-term exposure to radon gas and potentially lung cancer risk

10/09/2025

Applauding the outstanding contributions of these faculty who are 2025 Alberta Medical Association (AMA) Award recipients!

✨ Dr. Amy Metcalfe, PhD, has received the AMA Medal of Honour.

✨ Dr. Jonathan Somerville, MD, has received the Medal for Excellence and Achievement in Rural/Remote Medicine.

✨ Dr. Heather A. Armson, MD, has received the Alberta Medical Association’s Medal for Distinguished Service.

✨ Dr. Joseph C. Dort, MD, has also received the Alberta Medical Association’s Medal for Distinguished Service.

Join us in congratulating these medal recipients (pictured clockwise from left) for their dedication to the medical profession, and for raising the standards of health care across the province!

🔗 Read more about them: https://bit.ly/4mXzxAy

Rural Medicine (DLRI) UofC | Charbonneau Cancer Institute | Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute | Rural Health Professions Action Plan