Canada’s national academy, The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) has announced its 2024 cohort of new Fellows and College members – among the highest recognition Canadian academics can receive. This year's cohort includes four Queen’s researchers from faculties across the university.

Douglas Munoz (Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) and Mark Diederichs (Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering) will be inducted as Fellows, while Bhavin Shastri (Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy) and Cao Thang Dinh (Chemical Engineering) will become members of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists.  The researchers are recognized for their advancement of their respective fields – from developing innovative diagnostic tools to advancing renewable energy technologies.

“Election to the Royal Society of Canada is a testament to the impact and influence Queen’s researchers have at every career stage and the conditions we create for ambitious researchers to flourish,” says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). “Congratulations to our newly elected Fellows and College members on this achievement!”

Established in 1882 as Canada’s national academy, the role of the RSC is to promote research and learning, recognize academic and artistic excellence, and to advise government and non-governmental organizations on matters of importance to Canadians.

Fellows of the RSC are Canadian artists and scholars recognized by their peers for career contributions to the arts, humanities, sciences, and Canadian public life. Within the RSC, Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists are Canadian citizens or permanent residents within 15 years of completion of their doctoral studies who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishment. They are elected for a seven-year term.

Since 1964, Queen's has had 121 faculty members elected as Fellows of the RSC and 19 as Members of the College. Learn more about the most recent Queen's inductees.

Fellows

Mapping the brain's pathways

Douglas Munoz (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) has been recognized for his contributions to understanding how brain circuitry controls eye-movement and behaviour. With a research career spanning over four decades, Munoz has led advancements in understanding neural circuits governing saccadic eye movements and developed innovative diagnostic tools to identify behavioural biomarkers of neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s and ADHD. Munoz is also the founding director of Queen’s Centre for Neuroscience Studies as well as the former Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience.

Engineering the Earth's crust

Mark Diederichs (Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering) is a global leader in the fusion of engineering geology and rock engineering associated with natural and induced brittle fracture of rocks, connecting the smaller details of a material's structure to how it behaves and evolves under changing conditions at a larger scale. Dr. Diederichs’ research is at the forefront of ground support engineering and has advanced the field of rock mechanics, as well as rock engineering for deep underground infrastructure. His work has improved safety protocols in mining and civil engineering projects worldwide and led to the development of models and techniques that elevate the state-of-art and practice predicting and mitigating geological hazards, thereby safeguarding lives and protecting infrastructure.

College members

Shining a light on the future of AI

Bhavin Shastri (Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy) is recognized for his transformative research in neuromorphic photonics, which combines artificial intelligence (AI) with light to revolutionize computing. His research addresses the speed and energy efficiency limitations of conventional computing, and how photonics can deliver millions of times faster performance with reduced energy consumption. Photonic neural networks have the potential to enable fast and low-power systems for AI while also integrating quantum computing technologies to address fundamental problems like drug discovery – challenges that conventional machines cannot compute.

Fueling the future with CO₂

Cao Thang Dinh (Chemical Engineering) is a pioneer in the development of CO₂ conversion, through electrochemical processes, to renewable fuels and chemicals. Dr. Dinh’s research focuses on the design of new electrocatalytic (reaction) systems using renewable electricity, providing promising solutions to mitigate climate change and promote widespread deployment of renewable energies. He is also leading interdisciplinary work in the production of biodegradable plastics from CO₂, bringing together expertise in electrochemical engineering, computational systems biology, and microbiology.

For more information on the 2024 cohort of Fellows and College members, visit the Royal Society of Canada’s website.

The 2024 Royal Society of Canada Eastern Ontario Symposium is a free event open to the public on September 27 at 6:30 PM at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Hear from Queen's researchers and RSC Fellows and Members of the College talk about their research and participate in a Q&A session after the presentations. Registration is required.