Research at Dalhousie Medical School

Faculty of Medicine

Research Advisory Committee

The purpose of the Faculty of Medicine Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is to develop and recommend the adoption of research-related policies within the Faculty, to provide advice to the Dean and to Faculty Council on research-related matters, to support research development opportunities for Faculty, to make determinations regarding internal research funding opportunities.

Members of Faculty are encouraged to contact the Committee (sandy.bennett@dal.ca) to place items on meeting agendas. 

The Committee meets once per month during the academic year.

Membership Terms of Reference

a) Elected Voting Members

14 members of Faculty with a balance between clinical and basic science expertise, including two members of Faculty (one clinical and one basic science) whose primary geographic appointments are in New Brunswick and who participate in the Dalhousie Medical New Brunswick campus.

b) Ex Officio Voting Members

i. Associate Dean, Research;
ii. Assistant Deans of Research;
iii. Assistant Dean, Saint John;
iv. Integrated Vice-President Research, Innovation and Knowledge Translation (NSHA/IWK), and
v. CIHR University delegate

c) Chair: Elected from Committee membership to serve a renewable 2 year term.

Current Membership


Eileen Denovan-Wright – Associate Dean, Research (ex officio)           
Eileen.denovan-wright@dal.ca

Paul Atkinson – Assistant Dean, Research DMNB (ex officio)                         
paul.atkinson@dal.ca

Gail Tomblin-Murphy – VP Research NSHA (ex officio)           
Gail.tomblinmurphy@nshealth.ca

Frank MacMaster – VP Research & Innovation IWK (ex officio)
frank.macmaster@iwk.nshealth.ca

John Sapp – Assistant Dean, Clinical Research (ex officio) 
john.sapp@nshealth.ca

Melina Agosto – Physiology & Biophysics                
melina.agosto@dal.ca

Aarnoud Van Der Spoel - Pediatrics                     
SpoelA@Dal.Ca

Pam Jarrett – DMNB (ex officio)                           
pgjarret@dal.ca

Chris Blanchard - Medicine
Chris.Blanchard@nshealth.ca

Alison Wallace – Thoracic Surgery                         
al412406@dal.ca

John Frampton – Biomedical Engineering
john.frampton@dal.ca

Sherry Stewart – Psychiatry                                 
sherry.stewart@dal.ca

Craig McCormick – Microbiology
craig.mccormick@dal.ca

Ruth Lavergne – Family Medicine
ruth.lavergne@Dal.Ca

Tobias Karakach - Pharmacology
karakach@dal.ca

Sanja Stanojevic – Community Health & Epidemiology
Sanja.stanojevic@dal.ca

Chris Richardson – Microbiology & Immunology      
chris.richardson@dal.ca

Greg Fairn - Pathology                                         
gfairn@dal.ca

Sandy Bennett - MRDO
sandy.bennett@dal.ca

Committee Responsibilities

The Medical Research Advisory Committee is responsible for the following:

a) Developing and recommending to Faculty Council, or to the Dean, as appropriate, the adoption and implementation of research policy within the Faculty;

b) Providing advice to Faculty Council and to the Dean regarding research-related issues;

c) Encouraging and supporting the development and expansion of research and researchrelated activities within the Faculty of Medicine;

d) Making recommendations, adjudicating or allocating funding, as requested by the Associate Dean Research or as required by Faculty of Medicine Policy, in connection with the following programs:

i. Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI);
ii. Canada Research Chair competition and renewals;
iii. Endowed Chair recruitment and renewals; and
iv. Other salary and related-research support programs identified by the Associate Dean Research from time to time.

e) Selecting student recipients for research-related awards and prizes; and

f) Undertaking other tasks related to its role as may be assigned by Faculty Council from time to time. 

Reporting Structure

The Faculty of Medicine Research Advisory Committee (RAC) shall report annually to Faculty Council and to the Dean of Medicine, through the Associate Dean, Research.