As we reflect on the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry’s achievements for the academic year July 2023 to June 2024, I’m humbled by the dedication of our community. Every single person in the FoMD continues to make a difference in our mission of advancing health through education, research and meaningful relationships with our partners and communities.
The 2023-2024 academic year was particularly memorable thanks to some significant anniversaries and milestones. Marking the 100th anniversary of both the Department of Surgery and the Department of Biochemistry, and the 50th anniversary of the Department of Family Medicine, we had the opportunity to reflect on our rich history. Thanks to the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, students and alumni, I know the future is just as bright as the past we enjoyed celebrating together.
I’m thankful to all of you who play a part in our success.
Brenda Hemmelgarn, Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Highlights
CELEBRATING our milestones
50 Years of Family Medicine Since 1973, Family Medicine at the U of A has grown from 20 rotating interns to more than 160 family medicine residents in 2023. As we celebrate 50 years, the department offers both rural and urban streams and diverse one-year specializations.
100 Years of Surgery The Department of Surgery is one of the oldest in Canada, with milestones such as Canada’s first open heart surgery. At 100 years old, it has grown into 14 divisions with 8 postgraduate training programs, nearly 50 graduate students and over 100 surgical residents.
100 Years of Biochemistry Biochemistry at the U of A dates back to the early 20th century and the ground-breaking research contributions of its first Chair, James Collip, to the development of insulin. Marking its 100th year, the department offers diverse programs and courses to more than 1,500 students each year.
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U of A’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry is ranked No. 5 in Canada ()
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U of A is ranked 94th in the world, fourth in Canada
(QS World University Rankings) -
The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has nearly 17,500 alumni worldwide
Research Impact
U of A research teams awarded $100 million for pandemic preparedness
The PRAIRIE Hub for Pandemic Preparedness will use federal research grants to fund four projects developing and manufacturing vaccines under the helm of Joanne Lemieux, professor of biochemistry and executive scientific director of the new hub.
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is recognized as an international leader in innovative research in precision health, AI in health, population health (including Indigenous and rural health) and health-services research for the benefit of all.
$166.1M
total value of research funding from April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024
Meet Our New Canada Excellence Research Chairs
Kalyan Das, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Antiviral Drug Design
A world leader in structural biology, Kalyan Das focuses on the replication machinery in viral pathogens that have high epidemic potential, such as coronaviruses, influenza and enteroviruses. “There are so many diseases with almost no antivirals to treat them,” says Das. “We need to be prepared, and this fundamental understanding can really accelerate the process.”
Rebecca Hull-Meichle, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Islet Microenvironment
Rebecca Hull-Meichle’s highly collaborative work, based in the FoMD and ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Diabetes Institute, focuses on understanding how interactions between cells within the islet and the environment in which they exist contribute to diabetes, and how they could be leveraged to develop improved approaches for treatment and prevention.
Research News
Cutting-edge discoveries that made headlines this year
A revelation in protein folding offers hope for potential ALS medicines
ALS causes progressive paralysis of the muscles of the limbs, speech, swallowing and breathing, and usually leads to death within five years. “It’s a critical time to keep the momentum going and to build that hope,” says study co-author Michele DuVal, fourth-year neurology resident.
Researchers find new way to deliver treatment to infants at risk of cerebral palsy
Larry Unsworth, professor of biomedical engineering and member of the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, and his team developed a system to treat hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy that carries dexamethasone to the brain’s site of injury. “Targeted treatment to these injured cells could dramatically improve the outcomes of children who suffer from this condition.”
Portable ultrasound tool uses AI to detect arm fractures more quickly
Abhilash Hareendranathan, assistant professor in the Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, has developed a tool that allows accurate scanning for fractures or tears. “Ultrasound is fast, safe and highly sensitive to fractures, making it ideally suited for wrist examination in emergency departments,” says Hareendranathan.
AI project aims to diagnose stroke more accurately so patients can get faster treatment
An interdisciplinary research team will develop a software program that augments the information available from brain scans taken with existing CT technology. “We’ve got a very experienced group of stroke researchers and also people with expertise in computer science and artificial intelligence in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥,” says Brian Buck, associate professor of neurology.
Early career researcher spotlight: Shima Shahbaz
Shima Shahbaz, a postdoctoral fellow in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, researches natural protective immunity against HIV infection, giving hope to people affected by HIV worldwide. The CIHR 2024 REDI Early Career Transition Award enables Shahbaz to “build on my dreams as a clinician scientist and focus where I truly want with my PhD.”
- 1,850+ research articles*
- 8 research institutes
- 12 research centres
- 32 Canada Research Chairs (CRC)
- state-of-the-art labs and research facilities
- *Estimated total number of articles published in 2023 (Source: Web of Science)
Teaching and Learning Impact
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry is dedicated to providing learner-centred educational programs that meet the health-care needs of our communities. Our goal is to graduate qualified, compassionate and inquisitive practitioners and researchers accomplished in health-care delivery and scholarship.
We are committed to serving patients and populations by providing a rich interdisciplinary environment of learning, practice, research and public service for all our students and faculty.
5
undergraduate degree programs
63
medical residency programs
25
PhD programs
32
master's programs
1,088
undergraduate students
780+
graduate students
814
medical residents
150+
postdoctoral fellows
750+
faculty
2,900+
clinical academic faculty
20
departments
Grande Prairie facility will train rural doctors
An innovative new partnership between the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Northwestern Polytechnic will allow medical students and family medicine residents to take all of their training in Grande Prairie and other northern ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ communities.
Meet Our Graduates
Richen Basig
A tireless advocate for the medical laboratory sciences program, 2024 grad Richen Basig participated in the U of A’s Medical Laboratory Students’ Association, including as president during 2023-24. “We need to come together and recognize that each (health) profession is important.”
Daniel Ghods-Esfahani
Daniel Ghods-Esfahani graduated from the MD program in 2024. “My passion for medicine is deeply rooted in my unique journey. Born in Iran, I immigrated to Canada with my parents at the age of 10. Witnessing the socioeconomic and political injustices in Iran ignited a desire within me to become an advocate.”
Yiying Huang
Yiying Huang graduated in 2024 with a doctor of dental surgery. During her degree she chaired the Winter Charity Ball and raised over $90,000 for dental charities; led three Access for All Dentistry mission trips to rural ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and attended five.
Meet Our Faculty
Tina Korownyk, chair, Department of Family Medicine
Tina Korownyk, a professor and chair in the Department of Family Medicine, was the 2023 ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ College of Family Physicians Family Physician of the Year. She works as a family physician at the Northeast Community Health Centre and is also the director of Patients Experience Evidence Research. She is involved in medical education in family medicine and is co-director of the Evidence-Based Medicine Program for family medicine residents.
Thomas Stelfox, deputy dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Tom Stelfox left the University of Calgary to join the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry on Sept. 1, 2023, in the inaugural role of deputy dean, working alongside Brenda Hemmelgarn as she took on the additional role of dean and vice-provost for the College of Health Sciences. A proud alumnus of our MD program, Stelfox says, “People are what make an institution, so getting to know the faculty community will be incredibly stimulating and rewarding.”
Order of Canada
Glen Baker, Department of Psychiatry
Glen Baker, who worked in the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s psychiatry department for more than four decades — including as chair in the early 2000s — before retiring in 2017 and becoming a professor emeritus, was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2023 for his contributions to the field of neuropsychopharmacology. Baker, who co-founded the Neurochemical Research Unit at the U of A in 1979, studied the mechanisms of action and metabolism of drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Michael James, Department of Biochemistry
Just a month before he passed away in July 2023, Michael James was appointed to the Order of Canada for his groundbreaking work in crystallography over 50-plus years. James’s landmark discoveries span the first 3D structure of a protein in Canada, the first 3D structure of an aspartic protease, forming the basis for future research in the development of antiviral HIV drugs and other medications, and, in 2013, the first 3D structure of enzyme ⍺-L-iduronidase (2013), leading to improved treatments for patients requiring enzyme replacement therapy.
2023 Celebration of Service and Excellence Award Recipients
Our staff are the backbone of our Faculty and the work they do behind the scenes is critical to our faculty and student successes.
Excellence in Leadership: Nicole Firth
Nicole Firth is the academic department manager in the Department of Pediatrics. Her goal is to create a psychologically safe environment for everyone, and this desire to create a safe space informs every decision she makes and every action she takes. Nicole has a natural gift of connecting people and bringing them together.
Excellence in Learning Support: Shalawny Miller
Shalawny Miller is a technician in the Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology. She encourages students to critically think about each lab procedure, focusing on troubleshooting techniques, time management and quality control. She consistently provides insight, advice and encouragement to graduating students working in the lab and helps them prepare for the vast work field ahead.
Community Impact
We work with our partners in education, research and health care for the greater good of local, regional and global communities.
FoMD chosen to participate in global Social Accountability Fellowship
From left, Kathryn Dong, social accountability lead for the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Katherine Smith, social accountability lead MD program, and Minn Yoon, engaged in an eight-month Social Accountability Fellowship. The collaboration between The Network: Towards Unity for Health, NOSM University and the University of Limerick focuses on leadership's ability to implement social accountability practices, involving key positions such as deans, senior administrators and directors.
Wâpanachakos (Indigenous Health Program)
The Indigenous Health Program was founded in 1988 by the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry to encourage a greater number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students to gain access to and graduate from all Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry programs. The aim is to collaborate with Indigenous communities, faculty and staff to advance Indigenous health through the support of innovative opportunities for Indigenous students, researchers and communities within ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and throughout the world.
FoMD Well
FoMD Well was launched by chief wellness officer Melanie Lewis, to strengthen wellness both within the Faculty and nationally. The group works to identify and address the systemic problems that exist in current efforts to support the well-being of faculty, students and staff, and eliminate the occupational hazards that impede their work and well-being. To reach this goal, the team is analyzing existing policies; addressing bullying and barriers to inclusivity; and implementing new ways of encouraging work-life balance.
Black Health Lead
Family physician and assistant professor of medicine Eniola Salami is the FoMD’s first Black Health lead, part of the MD program’s commitment to increase Black physician representation, including preceptors for lectures, as well as longitudinal clinical experiences, physical exam sessions and clerkship experiences. Salami oversees educational elements as they pertain to Black health in Canada.
“When people — regardless of the colour of their skin, their cultural background, their social position — have the opportunity to access a health-care system that is inclusive and anti-racist and high functioning, everybody benefits.”
Grad students with Type 1 diabetes aim to build a better future as researchers, advocates and mentors
From improving current treatments to seeking new ones and raising awareness of what it’s like to live with Type 1, today’s students are emerging as tomorrow’s leaders in the field.
FOMD In Action
U of A project could help children in daycare breathe easier during wildfire season
A set of recommendations for outdoor and indoor air quality monitoring has been drawn up for ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s child-care centres, through a collaboration between Department of Pediatrics professor Anne Hicks and Amina Hussein, professor, Faculty of Engineering. Both are members of the U of A’s new Climate Change and Health Hub.
Devices designed for athletes could help save lives of children with malaria
Researchers — including Catherine Mitran, third-year MD student who has a PhD in public health — repurposed a handheld lactic acid testing device originally developed for endurance athletes, using it for Ugandan children with symptoms of malaria and respiratory distress. They believe the device could be used for triage to identify the sickest children who need the most urgent care.
Dental hygienist combines knowledge and community connections to remove barriers to oral health
Paulette Dahlseide is a dental hygiene graduate and mobile dental hygiene business owner in Cold Lake, ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥. A citizen of the Métis Nation of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, she and fellow Métis citizens Reagan Bartel of MNA Health and Suzy Depledge, comprehensive care director with the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, created , bringing oral health care to Métis community members in need.
Leading with Purpose Through Partnerships
$5 million donated to augment cardiovascular research at the U of A
The CVC Cardiovascular Health Foundation will fund a new research chair in cardiovascular science in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, to advance the internationally leading work. The endowment will also boost collaboration in translational research across disciplines within the faculty, the College of Health Sciences and other agencies.
How to build healthier communities — and people
Housing for Health ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, under the leadership of Karen Lee, associate professor in preventive medicine, released new guidelines for healthy communities based on collaboration with more than 100 partners, including urban planners, architects, developers, health-care and public health professionals, and community leaders. Three pilot projects show site design and neighbourhood amenities can help promote physical activity, healthy eating and social connections.
U of A to share expertise, equipment to foster ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s burgeoning health technology industry
The ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ government is providing more than $1.8 million to , the business arm of the U of A’s , which brings together engineering, medicine, rehabilitation, computer science, neuroscience and the social sciences to develop health innovations for people with diverse abilities, including those affected by neural and spinal cord injuries.
New Precision Human Health Lab will explore how people with chronic diseases can get the most benefit from exercise
The U of A Precision Human Health Laboratory will help researchers investigate techniques to improve cancer patients’ exercise tolerance and cardiovascular health, and expand the use of exercise as a clinical tool. The laboratory will help to unlock some of the complexities of chronic disease by examining how interventions like exercise can affect the diverse conditions patients face.
Research Institute spotlight: WCHRI partnership multiplies impact
The supports 300 faculty members through research funding and expert research services, made possible by its partnerships with ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Health Services, the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, the and . Together, we’ve built a world-class research institute that leverages the capacities of each partner to support research across the lifespan. Since 2006, the SCHF and AWHF have given more than $113 million to support women and children’s health research.
Did You Know?
Thanks to WCHRI’s award-winning clinical trials support, the Stollery Children’s Hospital is the only site in Western Canada that can conduct Phase 1 pediatric trials.
Celebrating our alumni and donors
Your generosity makes all the difference! When you invest in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, you invest in better health. You support health-sciences learning and propel discoveries beyond the labs so people can live fuller, healthier lives.
THANK YOU!
This year donors generously gave $45.4 million to the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Our donors advance and accelerate discoveries, from student financial aid and medical research to classrooms with state-of-the-art technology.
17,000+
alumni
7,877
alumni live in Edmonton
2,448
live in Calgary
7,151
alumni live all over Canada and around the world!
$1.3 million
awarded to students through scholarships and bursaries
56
endowed research chairs
Donors provide a vital $10M to Defeating Diabetes campaign
Life-changing breakthroughs for millions of people made possible by donor generosity as Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Canada and ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Diabetes Foundation partner with the U of A for massive fundraising initiative.
Dentistry class of ’68 delivers massive endowment honouring favourite mentor
The Dr. Douglas MacDougall Leadership Endowment, which has accumulated over $270,000 in donations and bequests, has supported 30 bursaries and scholarships, and that’s just the beginning.
Meet Our 2023 Award Recipients
Distinguished Alumni Award Deena Hinshaw, ’97 BSc, ’04 MD, ’08 MPH
As ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s chief medical officer of health, Hinshaw was responsible for protecting public health and the health-care system during the worst of COVID-19; her leadership is credited with saving lives and avoiding a collapse of the province’s hospitals.
Distinguished Alumni Award - Bruce Ritchie, ’76 BMedSc, ’78 MD
Bruce Ritchie works to improve the lives of Canadians with rare blood disorders, leading research and clinical trials seeking treatments and creating programs that save lives while also saving the health system millions.
Distinguished Alumni Award - Gordon H. Wilkes, ’73 BSc(Med), ’75 MD
Gordon Wilkes is known for improving the lives of people with facial disfigurement from trauma, infection, cancer or congenital causes. It’s his work in the area of microtia, especially — reconstructing underdeveloped or missing ears — that garnered him international respect.
Breakthrough Prize: Michel Sadelain, ’89 PhD
Immunologist and director of the in New York, alumnus Michel Sadelain was awarded the 2024 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his discovery of cancer-fighting immunotherapy based on genetic engineering of a patient’s own T cells.
Top 40 Under 40 in 2023:
Alumna and assistant professor, Family Medicine, Sanja is an advocate for equitable reproductive health, including leading a new residency in labour and delivery care.
Alumna and assistant professor, Pediatrics, Carolina is transforming pediatric cardiology education through the innovative 3D heart project and her work training future specialists.
This report highlights achievements from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry over the course of July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024.