Dr. Carolyn Gotay inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS)

Dr. Carolyn Gotay, Director of the Cancer Prevention Centre at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) on September 19 in Ottawa. This fellowship is one of the most prestigious awards in Canada recognizing substantial contributions to health science.

Thomas Marrie, MD, CAHS President welcomes Carolyn Gotay, PhD, as a new CAHS Fellow. Photo: Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

The fellowship honors Dr. Gotay’s long and distinguished career as a psychologist and researcher, working in the areas of cancer control and examining cancer patient and survivor quality of life. “Being elected as a CAHS Fellow is one of the highlights of my career. I am delighted that my work and leadership has been recognized in this way, and I look forward to contributing to Academy activities,” says Dr. Gotay.

“One of the roles of a CAHS Fellow is to consider health issues in Canada and provide independent assessments of the scientific evidence. Canadians truly benefit when the Fellows’ breadth of knowledge is applied to pressing health questions,” says Dr. Gotay.

As part of the CAHS Academy, Professor Gotay will support the development of informed public policy on key health issues. She will also contribute to the Academy’s mission of providing a collective, authoritative and multi-disciplinary voice on behalf of the Canadian health sciences nationally and internationally.

Dr. Gotay holds the Canadian Cancer Society Chair in Cancer Primary Prevention at the School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. She has published more than 175 manuscripts and has received national and international recognition for her research. Professor Gotay came to UBC in 2008 after positions at Gettysburg College, the University of Calgary, the (US) National Cancer Institute, and the University of Hawaii.

Established in 2004, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) recognizes individuals of great achievement in the academic health sciences in Canada. The CAHS has approximately 500 Fellows and appoints new Fellows annually.

Article by Sonia Renger