Two Queen’s University professors have been named Royal Society of Canada fellows, one of the highest honours for Canadian academics.

 Jacalyn Duffin. Photo by Bernard Clark

Jacalyn Duffin (School of Medicine) and Keith Banting (School of Policy Studies) were elected by society members for their outstanding contributions to medicine and policy studies.

Dr. Duffin is the Hannah Chair for the History of Medicine and a practicing physician and historian. Duffin is one of the first scholars to fully-integrate history into medical curricula. For her book Medical Miracles, Dr. Duffin went through the Vatican archives to study more than 1,400 miracles from 1588 to 1999.

“This recognition of my work is humbling and I am ever so grateful for the support of colleagues who believe in the value of humanities research in medical education and practice,” Dr. Duffin says.

Dr. Banting is a world-renowned expert on social policy and the impact of federalism, globalization and multiculturalism on the welfare state. He is widely respected for his ability to bridge divides between theory and practice. Dr. Banting holds the Queen’s Research Chair in Public Policy and was the director of Queen’s School of Policy Studies from 1992-2003.

 Keith Banting. Photo by Bernard Clark

“I feel very honoured by my election, and I am looking forward to conversations with my new colleagues across the full range of disciplines,” Dr. Banting says.

Drs. Banting and Duffin will be recognized at a Royal Society banquet in November.

The Royal Society of Canada was established under an Act of Parliament in 1882 as Canada’s national academy. It helps promote Canadian research, scholarly accomplishment and advises governments, non-governmental organizations and Canadians on matters of public interest.