Reflecting the importance of health as an interdisciplinary research strength and recognizing its significance in a post-pandemic world, Vice-Principal (Research) Nancy Ross is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven Smith as the university’s inaugural Deputy Vice-Principal (Research) for Health Research.

In this new role, Dr. Smith will work closely with the research community, faculties, and affiliated hospitals (Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Providence Care) to provide institutional leadership for the coordination and attraction of resources and partnerships to expand and amplify Queen’s health research strategy and profile.

As the Vice-Dean (Research) for Queen’s Health Sciences since January 2020, Dr. Smith has served the Queen’s research community in many capacities. With the support of David Pichora, President and CEO of Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), Dr. Smith will continue to serve as Vice President, Health Sciences Research at KHSC, and, with the support of the Board of Directors of the Kingston General Health Research Institute (KGHRI), as President and CEO of the institute.

Dr. Smith completed his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry at Western University, where he also earned his PhD in 1998. Before joining Queen’s Department of Biochemistry in 2001, Dr. Smith completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oxford as a Burroughs Wellcome Hitchings-Elion fellow and McGill University as a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Smith has taken on several leadership positions while at Queen’s, including as Associate Head for the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (2011-2016) and Director of Research for the Faculty of Health Sciences (2017-2019).

An expert in structural biology and biochemistry, Dr. Smith is widely recognized within the scientific community for his research contributions. In 2009, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Research Award. He is the recipient of a Queen’s Health Science’s Mihran and Mary Basmajian Research Award and a CIHR New Investigator Award. In recognition of his commitment to student learning experience, Dr. Smith has earned several accolades, including the Queen’s Health Sciences Education Award and the Life Science Student Choice Teaching Award.

For more information on the appointment, visit the Vice-Principal (Research) Portfolio website.