Douglas R. Wilson Lecture
Named in honour of Douglas R. Wilson — former dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and senior advisor to the School of Public Health — this annual signature lecture brings a distinguished external speaker to the University of Alberta to discuss an urgent or emerging health topic.
Open to students, alumni, faculty, community partners and the pubic, the lectures foster learning, reflection and collective action on the issues shaping population health today.
About Dr. Douglas R. Wilson
Douglas R. Wilson, MD, FRCPC, FCAHS, is a friend, colleague and champion of the School of Public Health and the University of Alberta.
Wilson graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto with the gold medal, and then undertook speciality training in internal medicine and nephrology in Vancouver, Toronto, Boston and London, England. Wilson subsequently joined the staff of the University of Toronto and Toronto General Hospital, where he led the development of the kidney transplant program, practised as a consulting nephrologist and launched the nephrology training program. He was actively involved in clinical and laboratory research in kidney disease, publishing more than 120 scientific papers over 17 years, while becoming professor of medicine and director of the Division of Nephrology.
In 1984, Wilson joined the University of Alberta as dean of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, a position he held for ten years. During this period, the faculty greatly expanded its clinical and research staff, updated its educational programs, substantially increased its research funding and facilities, and established close working relationships with the other health science faculties at the University of Alberta and with teaching hospitals.
“From Doug Wilson, one can expect a ‘glass half full’ attitude — seeing the best in people and seeking the best outcomes in his thoughtful decision making. One can also expect integrity, attention to the interests of the school and the University of Alberta and, above all, concern for others.”
Following his service as dean, Wilson's principal academic activity shifted to population health, health promotion and public health. He was instrumental in establishing the interdisciplinary Centre for Health Promotion Studies and chaired the provost's task force, which recommended establishing Canada's first stand-alone faculty dedicated to public health at the University of Alberta.
Wilson served as senior advisor to the dean following the formation of the School of Public Health in 2006. In this role, he provided leadership to numerous complex initiatives, which included developing the school's first set of Faculty Evaluation Committee guidelines. In addition, he served on the Accreditation Self-Study Working Group, which was responsible for ensuring proper preparation and submission of our self-study document to the Council for Education in Public Health.
Wilson is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and of the American College of Physicians. His contributions have been recognized by the awarding of the Canadian Public Health Association Honorary Life Membership Award (2002) and Certificate of Merit (2006), the Royal College of Physicians KJR Wightman Visiting Professorship (2004) and the Alberta Centennial Medal (2005). He was also appointed as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
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Email: thisis.publichealth@ualberta.ca