15 faculty members named UCalgary Research Excellence Chairs

On July 5, 15 UCalgary faculty members from across campus were appointed as chairs of the esteemed UCalgary Research Excellence Chairs (UCREC) program. Launched in 2023, UCREC was established to highlight the university's commitment to knowledge, discovery and innovation across various fields of study.

The UCREC program, funded through the President’s Strategic Initiatives Fund and overseen by the Office of the Vice-President (Research), provides significant funding to support top-tier researchers who advance knowledge, address critical societal challenges, and enhance the university's research reputation on a global scale. Modelled after the esteemed Canada Research Chairs program, UCREC aims to celebrate scholars of comparable distinction. The chairs were selected from a list of candidates nominated by their faculties.

This program aligns with the objectives of the Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan by fostering research excellence, supporting emerging talent, and encouraging transdisciplinary collaborations to create knowledge with impact.

“The UCREC program is a fantastic platform to celebrate our brilliant scholars and empower their creative work,” shares Dr. William Ghali, Vice-President (Research). “These Chairholders have shown tremendous leadership in their fields, and I am sure that they will go on to do great things during the tenure of their chairs.”

The complete list of the new cohort of UCalgary Research Excellence Chairs at the University of Calgary:

Dr. Gideon Christian, PhD
Associate professor, Faculty of Law

Dr. Nicole Culos-Reed, PhD
Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and professor, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine
Member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Charbonneau Cancer Institute and O'Brien Institute for Public Health

Dr. Charlene Elliott, PhD
Professor, Department of Communication, Media and Film, Faculty of Arts and professor, Faculty of Kinesiology
Member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Libin Cardiovascular Institute and O'Brien Institute for Public Health

Dr. Matthew James, MD, PhD
Professor, Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine
Member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and O'Brien Institute for Public Health

Dr. Kunal Karan, PhD
Professor, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering

Dr. Ian Lewis, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
Member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases

Dr. Derek Lichti, PhD
Professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering

Dr. Shalina Ousman, PhD
Associate Professor, Departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Cell Biology & Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine
Member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases

Dr. Pere Santamaria, PhD
Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine
Member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases

Dr. Shane Sinclair, PhD
Professor, Faculty of Nursing and adjunct professor, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine
Member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Charbonneau Cancer Institute

Dr. Mea Wang, PhD
Professor, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science
Member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute

Dr. Ajwang’ Warria, PhD
Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work

Dr. Gregory Welch, PhD
Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Dr. Joshua Whitehead, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Department of International Indigenous Studies, Faculty of Arts

Dr. Xu Zhao, PhD
Associate Professor, Werklund School of Education

For more details about the UCalgary Research Excellence Chairs program, please visit the UCalgary Research Excellence Chairs program page.