On September 17, 2015, along with 35 other distinguished individuals, Dr. Colleen Varcoe was inducted as a Fellow into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS).

For Colleen, an expert in the health effects of interpersonal violence, with an emphasis on prevention and health promotion through evidence-informed public policy, this is a unique kind of honour. “The Academy assembles some of the best brains from all areas of science to look at pressing issues in health and do in depth assessments,” she says.

CAHS provides timely, informed and unbiased assessments of urgent issues affecting the health of Canadians. These assessments, which are based on evidence reviews and leading expert opinion, provide conclusions and recommendations in the name of CAHS. The Academy is one of three arms of the Council of Canadian Academies, established in 2005 by the Government of Canada, along with The Royal Society of Canada and The Canadian Academy of Engineers. Arranged around annual forums, the Academy approaches an issue from a variety of perspectives. September’s Forum addressed the rising tide of dementia in Canada, with a goal of facing the challenge by 2025.

Fellows must be nominated by someone in the Academy. In this case, Dr. Sally Thorne, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in Applied Science, put forward Colleen’s name. “Colleen Varcoe is an exceptional scholar, leader and health advocate, with an international reputation in a highly complex and demanding field of study on an issue that has been systemically underrecognized as a social determinant of health,” says Sally. “The findings from her community based, collaborative research are having a major impact on improving the health of marginalized women nationally and internationally.”

“I’m not interested in the affirmation,” Colleen says. “This is an opportunity to contribute at a high level on issues alongside a great diversity of scholars and leaders.” Those elected to Fellowship in the Academy carry on in service to the organization by lending their expertise, regardless of discipline. “This is something I can see doing for a long time,” says Colleen, who is looking forward to contributing to the betterment of
the field of health sciences for years to come.

The significance of the appointment to the field of nursing is not lost on Colleen as less than 10 per cent of current CAHS members are nurses. “Next year, they will focus on the area of Indigenous health,” says Colleen, whose advocacy on women’s health promotion with a focus on violence against women, gives her a valuable perspective on the health of Indigenous peoples.