One way for the Faculty of Health to contribute to the University’s economic, health, societal, sustainable and technological futures on a global scale is to engage policy makers and alumni who are leaders in other parts of the world.
That is one of the reasons I attended the inaugural Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC, pronounced “kayak”) that was held in Singapore this month. There were more than 500 delegates, representing academic institutions, federal and provincial governments, business and investment sectors and alumni who are leaders on the global stage. It was organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and Universities Canada, and UWaterloo was an early academic sponsor of the event.
Waterloo had a strong presence with four deans, our president, chancellor, VP advancement and Nobel laureate Donna Strickland participating in various engagements such as Alumni Chapter receptions in Singapore and Hong Kong. There are more than 300 alumni in Singapore, and over 1,800 alumni in Hong Kong. Some relocated to Asia for opportunities, others returned home after pursuing their education in Canada.
Minister Mary Ng emphasized aspects of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy that relate to post-secondary education and globalization. Comprising 40 countries, the Indo-Pacific will form 50 per cent of the world GDP by 2040, 65 per cent of the world’s population and 67 per cent of the world’s Indigenous peoples. This region will also produce 50 per cent of global greenhouse emissions and have 37 per cent of the world’s poor.
A common theme through CIAC is the intersection of global issues related to health, food insecurity, climate change and social justice. These issues require global collaboration to address, but as a multi-disciplinary Faculty, we are in a good position to accelerate our contributions to meet these challenges.
Lili Liu
News I Events I Did you know?
NEWS
TA and Teaching Award recipients announced
The Faculty's Teaching Fellows have announced the 2022 Faculty of Health Teaching Assistant Award recipients, based on nominations from course instructors and students. The fall recipients are: Mackenzie Morton (RLS), Mohad Nasir (KHS) and Elizabeth Kailes (SPHS). The spring recipients are: Cameron Chiarot (SPHS) and Donna Fok (KHS). The 2022 Teaching Award goes to Lisbeth Berbary (RLS), who accepted this award in recognition of the collaborative work she did with her teaching teams in 2022.
Funding spotlight: Fall 2022 CIHR Project Grants
David Hammond (Public Health Sciences) has received a $2.1 million Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant over five years for his work on "Cannabis legalization in Canada: International Cannabis Policy Study." Waterloo secured more than $3.6 million in funding with four grants out of 13 applications. Waterloo's 30 per cent success rate was higher than the 20 per cent national average. The full results are available on the CIHR site.
March Bingo cards are ready
The Dean’s Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being has launched a monthly Wellness Bingo game to promote healthy habits and behaviours. Everyone in the Faculty of Health is welcome to download a bingo card and play along. When you complete a line, you can send a picture to health.wellbeing@uwaterloo.ca to be entered for a monthly prize draw.
Happy lights, not SAD
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a kind of depression that typically appears during the winter months. While it isn’t clear exactly what causes SAD, it is thought that it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. The Dean’s Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being has purchased two therapy lights that are available for staff, faculty and grad students to book and use in their offices. One is about the size of a tablet, and the other takes up a fair amount of desk space. The lights can be booked from 9 a.m. to noon or from 1 to 4 p.m. by emailing faculty.health.reception@uwaterloo.ca.
Alumni Office Hours: February 28-March 2
Reminder: Alumni Office Hours are taking place this week. The series connects students with alumni, so please share with anyone who's interested in hearing from the experiences of a clinic owner, policy analyst and executive director. Get details on the Alumni Office Hours web page.
Thirteen Grandmother Moons: March 1, 8, 22
This drop-in Indigenous Learning Circle series continues with three sessions this month, hosted by Elder Myeengun. The Thirteen Grandmother Moons learning circle will cover teachings from each of the 13 months in the lunar calendar, which differs from the 12 months in the Gregorian (western) solar calendar. All take place from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. in the Indigenous Gathering Space, LHI 3701. Everyone is welcome. Registration not required.
Sex and Sexuality Trivia: March 3
The Dean's Advisory Committee on Health and Well-being is hosting a Sex and Sexuality Trivia Night for Faculty of Health undergraduate students, where they can ask questions, learn new things and have some fun. Please share this event with interested students. Registration is required.
Waterloo for Health, Technology and Society conference: March 8-9
This conference is hosted by the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CBB) and aims to explore the use of technology for safe and accessible health care by examining the status of virtual delivery of care, enabling emerging technologies and ensuring ethical and safe interventions for the betterment of society and improved public health outcomes. Please visit the CBB conference website to learn more and register.
Health Care Accessible to All lecture: March 9
Join visiting professor Jan Jukema (Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands) as he addresses how stakeholders can work together to create products, services and processes that are truly helpful for people. March 9, noon to 1 p.m., with a reception to follow for those attending in person. Please register in advance on the Health Care Accessible to All event page. This event is sponsored by the Lyle S. Hallman Professorial Endowment.
Pivot-RP for researchers: March 9
The Pivot-RP is a searchable database with more than 28,000 funding opportunities from sponsors in all disciplines. The next virtual workshop for faculty members and graduate students is scheduled for Thursday, March 9 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The session will include a review of the key functionalities of Pivot-RP, then present a live demo covering topics such as claiming your profile, searching for funding, tracking, sharing and exporting funding opportunities. Questions are encouraged. For more information and to register for this workshop, visit the Pivot-RP training webpage.
Critical Tech Talk on reproductive technology: March 13
This series is designed to promote an ethos of responsible innovation in the local tech ecology. The event on March 13 is titled Artificial Wombs: The Disobedient Future of Birth, and will include Public Health Sciences PhD candidate Margaret Mutumba in conversation. Please see details and a registration link on the Critical Tech Talk page.
Communication in Health Care talk: March 13
KHS alumnus Leon Latty (BSc '10), a clinician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, will be speaking to students on 'Communication in Health Care,' hosted by the Communication Arts department and supported by KHS. Open to anyone interested in conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Register for the Communication in Health Care lecture, taking place March 13 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in AL 105.
Grad Class Send-off: March 28
Come celebrate the graduating class of 2023 at our annual Grad Class Send-off, where we recognize the achievements of students as they conclude their studies in the Faculty of Health. Please register on the Grad Class Send-off page by March 20 if you can attend.
Research and Practice in Health Sciences: March 30
The School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS) is hosting an inaugural Research and Practice in Health Sciences conference, to take place March 30 in a hybrid format. The goal of this student-led conference is to expose current undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows within SPHS to a range of career paths, including research and practice related to health. See the conference web pages for details and to register.
DID YOU KNOW?
Black History Month highlights stories of excellence
For Black History Month this year, the University compiled events, history, stories and resources to show the breadth of contributions that Black students, faculty and staff have made over the years. Check out the Black History Month site, which includes Faculty of Health members such as alumni Dean Barnes, Shama Saleh, Zainab Mahdi and Tre Ford.
Faculty of Health Book Club meets monthly
The Dean's Office hosts a book club for anyone in the Faculty during lunch hour in BMH 3119 on the fourth Wednesday of every month. March's title is Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates, to be discussed on March 22, and we have a few copies to lend out. Please contact Fiona McAlister if you are interested in joining.
Do you have a news item to share? Please email it to Eugenia Xenos Anderson.