UNBC Professor appointed interim Scientific Director with Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Another honor is being bestowed upon longtime UNBC Professor Dr. Margo Greenwood.

Today (Thursday), she was named the interim Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Indigenous People’s Health for a period of three years.

Dr. Greenwood has set some lofty goals for herself in the role.

“I am hopeful that I will be able to encourage, and support research opportunities for learning, for change, and for transformational policy – transformational education for our health care practitioners.”

“I know this is a very big job. It’s daunting but I feel like I am up for it and I am so very much looking forward to getting to the work.”

Dr. Greenwood is also trying to bridge the gap when it comes to the lack of health services for those living in rural and remote communities in our region is one of her main goals.

“The goal is to have conversations with First Nations, Inuit and Metis people, researchers, policymakers and community organizations to really listen and learn from them what their priorities are.”

While Dr. Greenwood can’t shake a magic wand and clear up all rural and remote health issues at once, there are smaller gains that can be made in the short term.

“What we can do is make sure that we have the evidence to support the need for those services if you will in rural and remote communities. We can also ensure that we tell the stories and paint the pictures.”

CIHR President, Dr. Michael J. Strong explained why Margo was such a strong choice.

“It’s really the amount of work that she has done to build community and particularly focus on children’s health and the education of children, especially Indigenous children. If we don’t focus there we don’t have a chance to change things as we move forward so that is one of the really big things.”

The institute will be hosted at UNBC’s PG campus.

Dr. Greenwood was also a Member and Chair of the Institute Advisory Board for the CIHR Institute of Indigenous People’s Health from 2006 to 2013.

In addition, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for her work in early childhood education and leadership in Indigenous health policy in December of 2021.