Sioban Nelson appointed president of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Published: October 21, 2021
Professor Sioban Nelson of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing has been appointed president of the board of directors of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) – the first time a nurse has been named to the role.
The prestigious honour recognizes Nelson’s renown as an academic leader and her commitment to using science-based decision-making to improve the health of all Canadians. Nelson is a former dean of the Faculty of Nursing and former vice-provost, academic programs and vice-provost, faculty and academic life, at the University of Toronto.
“The pandemic has heightened the importance of scholarly and scientific societies,” says Nelson. “We are living in a moment where there is increasing public distrust in science, and we have an opportunity to shift that by using our collective expertise and scientific evidence to foster trust and support for policy-makers and governments in their decisions.”
Nelson says she is eager to build on the collaborative and multi-disciplinary foundation of the CAHS, further its commitment to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism and ensure the organization uses “its voice and wealth of knowledge” to support the health of Canadians.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” says Nelson, “but we also have a great opportunity to leverage the expertise of Canadian health scientists, pave the way for the next generation of leaders, and continue to contribute to improving the health of Canadians.”
