August 19, 2025 —
Two Max Rady College of Medicine professors have been elected to the Canadian Academy of Well being Sciences (CAHS), one of many highest honours within the Canadian well being sciences neighborhood.
Dr. Tracie Afifi, UM Canada Analysis Chair in childhood adversity and resilience and professor of neighborhood well being sciences, and Dr. Marni Brownell, senior scholar, neighborhood well being sciences, are among the many 47 new CAHS fellows for 2025.
“Congratulations to Drs. Afifi and Brownell,” mentioned Dr. Peter Nickerson, UM vice-provost (well being sciences) and dean of the Max Rady School of Drugs. “As a CAHS fellow myself, it’s my honour to welcome you into this nationwide group of world-class scientists and students working to advance the well being of Canadians and folks world wide.”
Dr. Trevor Younger, CAHS president, mentioned that election to the Canadian Academy of Well being Sciences acknowledges excellent contributions to the well being sciences.
“We’re pleased with these fellow’s accomplishments, and we’re honoured to welcome them to the Canadian Academy of Well being Sciences,” Younger mentioned.
Afifi is a global chief in childhood adversity and resilience analysis. Afifi, who has revealed greater than 245 peer-reviewed journal publications, has constructed her analysis program utilizing a public well being method.
Afifi is the recipient of a number of awards and honours, together with the Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Psychological Well being Analysis, the Canadian Institutes of Well being Analysis Gold Leaf Award and the Alexander Leighton Award in Psychiatric Epidemiology.
“It’s a nice honour to have been chosen as a 2025 Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Well being Sciences,” Afifi mentioned. “The CAHS does wonderful evidence-based work to enhance well being for all Canadians. I look ahead to contributing to the academy within the space of childhood adversity and resilience with the goal of selling well being and well-being for youngster and households in Canada.”
Brownell conducts analysis utilizing entire inhabitants administrative well being and social providers databases to look at youngster well being and well-being, specializing in social and structural influences on well being. She leads analysis tasks specializing in the well being and well-being of kids within the youngster welfare and youth prison justice techniques.
Brownell is the founding director of SPECTRUM, a big analysis partnership between representatives of neighborhood organizations, authorities employees, teachers and trainees from a number of disciplines who work collectively to deal with advanced social challenges. She is the 2019 recipient of the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Geoffrey C. Robinson award honouring excellence in inhabitants well being analysis.
