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On July 1, Dr. Paul Atkinson became Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick’s new Assistant Dean of Research, succeeding Dr. Anthony (Tony) Reiman who inaugurated the position and helped build the now thriving research enterprise at DMNB over the past 11 years.

A leader in his field, Dr. Atkinson is a professor at Dalhousie University in the Emergency Medicine Department as well as the current Clinical Academic Head of the Saint John Regional Hospital’s Emergency Medicine Department. He is a deputy editor for the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine and was the Chief Medical Officer for WorkSafeNB from 2016 to 2020.

Having gained experience at internationally recognized teaching hospitals and tertiary centres, Dr. Atkinson’s career has taken him to several highly regarded institutions that include the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland; the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia; and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

After receiving his Fellowship in Emergency Medicine, Dr. Atkinson has gone on to excel as a clinician, educator, administrator, and researcher. In addition to leading a research team which has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Atkinson has presented original research at local, national, and international conferences, earning him top honours like the Grant Innes Award in 2014 and the Ian Stiell Emergency Medicine Researcher of the Year Award in 2019. One of Dr. Atkinson’s special points of interest is point-of-care ultrasound. He is the lead investigator on the Sonography in Hypotension and Cardiac Arrest (SHoC) series of studies.

“I’m looking forward to an opportunity – for myself, for Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, and for researchers in New Brunswick – to consolidate the great work that has been done so far and look to new horizons, new opportunities, and new directions,” says Dr. Atkinson of his new role. “I think Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick is still a very young institution and we’re at an early stage in our growth in research, so it’s an exciting time to be able to come in and hopefully shape something that will last into the future.”

Before transitioning into the position of Assistant Dean of Research at DMNB, Dr. Atkinson had several helpful conversations with his predecessor, Dr. Reiman.

“He indicated how important it is for Dal to be a leader in New Brunswick,” shares Dr. Atkinson, adding that the best piece of advice he received from Dr. Reiman was that “New Brunswick is a collaborative environment.” As such, it is key to “work with other institutions to try to create some sort of shared vision and direction, and work together.”

An enthusiastic contributor with a passion for medical education, Dr. Atkinson has been involved with Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick since it first opened in 2010 – either through tutoring or the Research in Medicine (RIM) program.

“I think it’s important that we, in New Brunswick, train our own doctors,” he affirms, “I think it’s vital to clinical care.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Atkinson to his role as Assistant Dean, DMNB Research,” notes Dr. Jennifer Hall, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick’s Associate Dean. “His skills in clinical research will help DMNB further develop our research plan to conduct, coordinate, and collaborate on projects that will have a positive impact on the health of New Brunswickers.”

As the Assistant Dean, DMNB Research, Dr. Atkinson is responsible for overseeing the human, physical, and financial infrastructure of the Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick biomedical research facility as well as the Faculty of Medicine’s clinical research activities at the DMNB campus. He will also represent Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick at the university level to both internal and external organizations as required.

“I believe it’s important for us to represent Dalhousie University as a whole and really support the vision of Dal being the medical school for the Maritimes, and yet also reflect the needs of New Brunswick,” says Dr. Atkinson. “Our own vision aligns with the greater vision, but it has some nuances that are more local.”