Dalhousie Vice-President Research Alice Aiken is among the six leading researchers that have been recently appointed to the prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Governing Council.
“I am very pleased to announce the appointment of these distinguished men and women to CHIR’s Governing Council,” said The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, in a news release. “They will join other exceptional scientists and researchers responsible for guiding CIHR’s investments in health research and its efforts to strengthen our healthcare system and improve the health of all Canadians.”
According to Health Canada, the Governing Council is responsible for the development CIHR’s strategic directions, goals and policies, approving CIHR’s budget, and evaluating the organization’s overall performance and achievements. They also provide advice to the Minister of Health and appoint Scientific Directors and Institute Advisory Board members.
Members of CIHR’s Governing Council are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the federal Cabinet. The council can include up to 18 members, who may hold office for two consecutive three-year terms.
As a member of the Governing Council, Dr. Aiken is hoping to get a much broader and better understanding of all the health research happening across the country, and the key role Dalhousie and Atlantic Canada play in the Canadian health research ecosystem.
“It’s good for Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada, to have a strong research voice at the table, says Dr. Aiken. “CIHR is undergoing massive change and regrouping, so it’s essential that we have a part in establishing the future of health research in Canada.”
Leading through service
A veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces (serving first as a ship’s navigator in the Royal Canadian Navy, then as a physiotherapist), Dr. Aiken’s research in health services and health policy has a unique focus on veterans and their families.
As part of this work, Dr. Aiken co-founded and was scientific director of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, a consortium of over 40 Canadian and seven international universities.
Before coming to Dalhousie (first as the dean of the Faculty of Health, and then vice-president research), Dr. Aiken served as a professor and associate director of the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and head of the physiotherapy program in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University.
Over the course of her career, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours, including the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and induction into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Dr. Aiken will attend her first meeting with the Governing Council in Ottawa next month.
For more information on CIHR’s Governing Council, visit the website.