Canada Research Chair

Lakehead Professors Among New and Renewed Canada Research Chairs

By: Melissa Burton

Three Lakehead University researchers have been recognized by the Government of Canada with new and renewed Canada Research Chair (CRC) appointments for their outstanding scientific contributions to our local and global communities.

Dr. Christopher Mushquash was appointed as a new Tier 1 CIHR CRC in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction. Dr. Alla Reznik, Tier 1 CRC in Radiation Medical Imaging Physics, and Dr. Lindsay Galway, Tier 2 CRC in Social-Ecological Health, received renewals.

“The work of Dr. Mushquash, Dr. Reznik, and Dr. Galway perfectly aligns with Lakehead’s research priorities, especially in areas like health and well-being; First Nations, Métis, and Inuit research; and sustainability, resources, and the environment,” explains Dr. Langis Roy, Vice-President of Research and Innovation. “These appointments affirm our standing as a research-intensive university committed to generating innovative solutions for our regions and advancing knowledge that matters for both people and planet.

Chris Mushquash Dr. Mushquash, Psychology Professor and member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation), is Lakehead’s first Tier 1 CRC holder from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Blending traditional scholarly activities with Indigenous ways of knowing, he has influenced national policy and improved systems of care for Indigenous people during his previous two terms as a Tier 2 CRC.

Over the next seven years, Dr. Mushquash and his research team will expand their community-based research program to develop culturally- and contextually-appropriate targets of intervention, develop methods for testing outcomes, and share knowledge with Indigenous and academic communities, clinicians, policy-makers, and decision-makers.

“This appointment provides the platform to broaden our impact, not only through community-driven research, but by training the next generation of researchers to engage in respectful engagement with Indigenous communities,” he says.

Canada Research Chair Renewals

Dr. Alla Reznik, Tier 1 CRC in Radiation Medical Imaging Physics (NSERC)

Physics Professor Dr. Alla Reznik is revolutionizing the early detection and diagnosis of cancer. Dr. Reznik and her team have developed a low-dose Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner for breast imaging that has shown promising results in clinical settings.

They are currently refining their device to target other organs and provide clearer and more detailed diagnostic images compared to current technologies while minimizing patients’ exposure to radiation. “The PET scanner is designed to be versatile, capable of imaging various body parts such as the breast, brain, heart, and prostate with improved accuracy and detail,” she explains.

Dr. Reznik's innovations in medical imaging technology are improving patient health outcomes and advancing the field of personalized medicine by tailoring scans to individual patient needs.

Dr. Reznik was renewed for a seven-year term.

Dr. Lindsay Galway, Tier 2 CRC in Social-Ecological Health (SSHRC)

Dr. Lindsay Galway Dr. Galway, Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences, investigates how urgent global challenges, including climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation, directly impact the well-being and equity of people.

“My research falls under the umbrella of planetary health - the idea that human health and the health of ecosystems and the planet are deeply interconnected,” says Dr. Galway.

Building on the successes of her first term, Dr. Galway and her interdisciplinary team are co-constructing place-based solutions that prioritize the perspectives and experiences of marginalized groups. By promoting both environmental sustainability and social justice, Dr. Galway aims to build a more resilient and equitable future for all.

Dr. Galway was renewed for a five-year term.

Keywords:

Canada Research Chair

CRC

Research

Innovation

CIHR

sshrc

NSERC

Lakehead announces new Canada Research Chair

Thunder Bay, Ont. – Lakehead University’s Dr. Melissa Twance has been appointed Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Land Pedagogies and Indigenous Futurities.

Dr. Twance’s work under the five-year chairship will focus on land-based learning and Indigenous pedagogies and how this perspective can assist in decolonizing education and making education a positive, empowering experience for Indigenous youth.

Through a community-engaged arts-based approach, including sharing circles and beading circles, Twance will study how traditional Indigenous places of learning and ways of knowing, being and doing, immerse youth in culture, language, tradition, and values that support their education and development.

“Bringing about transformative change means that we need to go against the colonial norm that is infused throughout Western education institutes and allow Indigenous knowledge to be validated as its own form of knowledge, which will make learning a more positive experience for Indigenous people,” she explained.

Twance’s work is influenced by her own educational experience. A member of Netmizaagamig Nishinaabeg (Pic Mobert First Nation) in Northwestern Ontario, she said the values and ideas around achievement in the Western education system never felt relevant to her life or her community, resulting in isolation and frustration.

“My research will focus beyond the Western classroom because that’s where I was able to find validation and support for myself growing up,” she said. “My grandmother taught me beadwork and my mother ensured that we had a cultural upbringing and participated in ceremonies and Powwows, which helped me build a sense of community and identity.”

In these spaces, Twance will foster a platform for Anishinaabe people – including Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members – from across the Great Lakes region to contribute knowledge and experiences to create a system where Indigenous students feel affirmed.

“Instead of conforming to and meeting Euro Western measures of success, how do we define success for ourselves, how does learning with and through the land point to different futures for us?” she stated.

The appointment comes with $600,000 in funding over five years and a $39,000 research infrastructure grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

“Lakehead University is extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Melissa Twance as our newest Canada Research Chair,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “We look forward to the research contributions Dr. Twance will make over the term of this appointment.”

The Canada Research Chair program also announced the renewal of Dr. Maryam Ebrahimi for a second five-year term. Dr. Ebrahimi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, will continue her work as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Molecular-based Low-dimensional Nanomaterials. Her research lies at the border of chemistry and physics, focusing on the fundamentals of low-dimensional nanomaterials whose properties are determined by their size, structure, and growth dimensions.

Keywords:

Canada Research Chair

Indigenous Pedagogies

Decolonizing Education

Land-based Learning

Indigenous Knowledge

New Canada Research Chair Appointed at Lakehead University

(Monday, March 25, 2013 – Thunder Bay, ON)

Lakehead University’s Dr. Pauline Sameshima has been awarded a Canada Research Chair in Arts Integrated Studies.

She comes to Lakehead from Washington State University where she taught Arts Integrated Research in the Teacher Education Program and the Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education Graduate Program.

Dr. Sameshima, an Associate Professor in Lakehead’s Faculty of Education, has also been awarded more than $25,000 by the Canada Foundation for Innovation Leaders Opportunity Fund to develop an Arts Integrated Research Lab.

“My work promotes the use of arts in learning, teaching and research. It nurtures individual researcher and student creativity development and provides new perspectives,” Dr. Sameshima said.

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), made the Canada Research Chair announcement earlier this month at Western University.

“Our government is committed to attracting and retaining the world’s best and brightest researchers, supporting innovation, creating jobs, and strengthening our economy,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “By investing in programs such as the Canada Research Chairs, we are fostering cutting-edge research and the generation of new innovations for the marketplace, for the benefit of Canadians.”

The Canada Research Chairs program, which attracts world-class researchers to universities, has positioned Canada as an international leader and destination of choice in research and development.

In total, the Government of Canada will provide $90.6 million in support to 120 newly awarded and renewed Canada Research Chairs. The research, which will be conducted at 39 Canadian institutions, has potential benefits for Canadians and their families, businesses, practitioners and policy-makers. Of this total, 19 researchers have been recruited from abroad, including 10 Canadians returning to work in their home country – demonstrating the success of the program in attracting and supporting research excellence in Canada.

The Canada Research Chairs program invests approximately $300 million per year toward research in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences.

Dr. John O’Meara, Dean of Lakehead’s Faculty of Education, said Dr. Sameshima will work with partners and faculty in Thunder Bay, other parts of Canada and internationally to develop creative ways of exploring and expressing research.

“We are proud to have Dr. Sameshima in this new role and look forward to seeing her research results related to arts education,” Dr. O’Meara said.

Dr. Sameshima brings 17 years of elementary public school teaching and administration to her professional interests in curriculum theory, curricular design, teaching and interdisciplinary arts integrated studies.

“The successful recruitment of Dr. Sameshima to Lakehead is a prime example of Lakehead’s commitment to nurture scholarship, magnify research and creative activities, and enhance learners’ educational experience,” said Dr. Rui Wang, Lakehead Vice-President (Research, Economic Development and Innovation).

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Media: For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Walker, Media Relations Officer, at (807) 343-8177.

Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Keywords:

Canada Research Chair

Pauline Sameshima