Canadian Academy of Health Sciences honours two Rady Faculty researchers
Two Max Rady College of Medicine professors have been elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), one of the highest honours in the Canadian health sciences community.
Dr. Tracie Afifi, UM Canada Research Chair in childhood adversity and resilience and professor of community health sciences, and Dr. Marni Brownell, senior scholar, community health sciences, are among the 47 new CAHS fellows for 2025.
“Congratulations to Drs. Afifi and Brownell,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, UM vice-provost (health sciences) and dean of the Max Rady College of Medicine. “As a CAHS fellow myself, it is my honour to welcome you into this nationwide group of world-class scientists and scholars working to advance the health of Canadians and people around the world.”
Dr. Trevor Young, CAHS president, said that election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences acknowledges outstanding contributions to the health sciences.
“We are proud of these fellows’ accomplishments, and we are honoured to welcome them to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences,” Young said.
Afifi is an international leader in childhood adversity and resilience research. Afifi, who has published more than 245 peer-reviewed journal publications, has built her research program using a public health approach.
Afifi is the recipient of several awards and honours, including the Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Gold Leaf Award and the Alexander Leighton Award in Psychiatric Epidemiology.
“It is a great honour to have been selected as a 2025 Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences,” Afifi said. “The CAHS does excellent evidence-based work to improve health for all Canadians. I look forward to contributing to the academy in the area of childhood adversity and resilience with the aim of promoting health and well-being for child and families in Canada.”
Brownell conducts research using whole population administrative health and social services databases to examine child health and well-being, focusing on social and structural influences on health. She leads research projects focusing on the health and well-being of children in the child welfare and youth criminal justice systems.
Brownell is the founding director of SPECTRUM, a large research partnership between representatives of community organizations, government staff, academics and trainees from multiple disciplines who work together to address complex social challenges. She is the 2019 recipient of the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Geoffrey C. Robinson award honouring excellence in population health research.