Nadine Caron, the first female First Nations surgeon in Canada, has  made a lasting impact on Canadian health policy through her research and advocacy, helping make it better meet the needs of marginalized populations, including Indigenous, northern and rural residents.

Caron is the recipient of 9th Annual Chanchlani Global Health Research Award, and will deliver this year’s Chanchlani lecture, fittingly scheduled for International Women’s Day, on March 8.

The award is given once a year to recognize the work of an outstanding scientist whose research impacts global health.

In addition to her commitment to advocacy and research, Caron is the inaugural First Nations Health Authority Chair in Cancer and Wellness at the University of British Columbia, as well as the a founding co-director and consultant of the UBC Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health.

Caron’s lecture — Perspectives of a First Nations physician in Canada: Do you ever wonder what we think? — will draw on her experiences and ask the audience to think more deeply about the health of Indigenous peoples, in Canada and around the world.

“We are very are excited to welcome Dr. Caron, a leader in Indigenous health research and an inspiring speaker,” says Sonia Anand, Director of the Chanchlani Research Centre, “ as well as to hold this pre-eminent annual event on International Women’s Day and to highlight star researchers from McMaster who are investigating problems that greatly impact women’s health.”

The event will also feature three guest speakers:

• Zena Samaan, from Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, will speak on Addictions and Mental Health in Canada and Globally.
• Chedoke Chair in Pediatric Psychiatry Harriet MacMillan, a renowned advocate for children’s and women’s safety, will speak about Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Linking Practice and Policy with Evidence.
• Claudia Emerson, founding director of the Institute on Ethics & Policy for Innovation and a global expert on research ethics, will speak about Women and Girls in Global Health Research: Ethical Barriers and Enablers.

“It is an honour to be welcoming Dr. Nadine Caron as the award recipient this year on International Women’s Day” says Andrea Baumann, McMaster’s Associate Vice-President of Global Health, “and for the opportunity to hear her perspectives as a physician about the health of Indigenous people in Canada and globally.”

Date: March 8, 2021

Time: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Webinar through Zoom.

Click here to learn more and to register for this free event.

About the Chanchlani Research Centre
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Vasu Chanchlani and his wife, Jaya Chanchlani created a $10 million fund (through $1 million seed) to set up the Chanchlani Research Centre. It aims to encourage scientists to find environmental and genetic causes of cardiovascular diseases widely prevalent within South Asians and those of South Asian origin in Canada. The Chanchlanis also endowed $250,000 at McMaster for the annual Chanchlani Global Heath Research Award, as well as $25,000 for the best global research on heart health and diabetes among South Asians.