StFX’s Bill Marshall, Charmaine McPherson named to NSHRF committee

StFX will now have two representatives on the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (NSHRF) Research Advisory Committee.

Dean of Science Dr. Bill Marshall and School of Nursing faculty member Dr. Charmaine McPherson have both been appointed to the committee for a three-year term, effective May 1 2008 through April 2011. The committee provides advice and recommendations to NSHRF on research and peer review and merit review issues.

Committee members are selected to provide broad representation of health research sectors and across health research organizations.

As members, Drs. Marshall and McPherson will also assist in the development of new program and scientific initiatives, make recommendations on issues, and develop temporary task forces or working groups to evaluate and make recommendations on health research initiatives as requested by NSHRF.

 L-r, Dr. Charmaine McPherson, GASHA vp Madonna MacDonald, and Dr. Bill Marshall

StFX nominated Dr. Marshall, while Dr. McPherson was nominated by the local district health authority, GASHA, as their rep.

“Since the revision of the StFX strategic Research Plan to include health and human activity we have been looking for novel ways to support and extend health related research here and in the province generally,” Dr. Marshall says.

“NSHRF fills an important void in the province by supporting emerging concepts, students and communications initiatives not normally supported by the major agencies. I am most pleased to serve NHSRF and their goals of improving health care and the health of Nova Scotians.”

Dr. McPherson, who is associated with GASHA for her upcoming post-doctoral fellowship period, says it is her understanding that this is a first for a district health authority to nominate somebody who has a research affiliation with them, rather than one of their own staff.

“This is a feather in both StFX and GASHA’s caps because it shows that GASHA is committed to applied health research and that they trust the university-health decision maker partnership that we, health researchers at StFX, have been nurturing for several years now.”